Civilization vs Savagery
by Evangeline-Kingsley
Summary: Angel must cope with being the only girl stranded on an island full of boys. Can she keep her sanity while trying to survive? And what happens when she has to choose between two certain boys? Will she choose civilization or savagery? RalphxOCxJack *Story has been re-edited!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! So this is definitely my first story. I read the book in english and fell in love with it! Yes I know the "girl on the island" concept has been done many times before, but I love the idea and want to try it. I hope you like it because I don't know if this story will be good or not. Please review and let me know what you think! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Flies nor will I ever. I also do not own any of the song lyrics I use. I do own Angel however. Hoorayyy!**

**A/N: This story is under construction. ****It was my first story, so it is bound to have tons and tons of flaws.** I will be going back through this story and changing some things to make it better :) 

* * *

I took a deep breath as my brother, Simon, and I walked through the airport. We were being evacuated on planes to the Pacific because of the war. Now, Simon and I walked hand-in-hand to our plane. My tiny hand squeezed his much bigger one as we inched closer and closer to our destination. I tried to ignore the twisting and turning in my stomach. I was scared to death and didn't want to leave home. I had never been on an airplane before and was quite intimidated by the thought of flying through the air thousands of feet off the ground. The fear must have been evident on my face because Simon glanced over at me, looking concerned.

"Angel, what's wrong?" He had a worried tone to his voice. I could tell he wasn't too thrilled about this either.

"Just nervous. I'll be fine." I choked out. I squeezed his hand to reassure him.

Simon and I were extremely close. He always knew when something was wrong. Simon liked his role as my big brother and I liked feeling protected by him. We were only one year apart, with him being seventeen and me sixteen. We both looked a lot alike too. We were both skinny with dark brown hair, pale skin, and hazel eyes. It was obvious to everyone that we were related. Some even mistook us as twins.

After what seemed like an eternity, Simon and I reached our plane and sat down in our seats. Still terrified, I let him have the window seat. I had no interest in seeing how high up we are, so I contently took the middle seat. I sat in silence, hoping no one would sit in the seat next to me. I looked around the plane and decided to kill some time by people watching. Scanning the plane, I noticed a group of kids about my age sitting a couple seats over from us. They were all wearing black cloaks with matching caps. One of the boys, with fiery red hair and icy blue eyes, especially stood out to me. I nudged Simon.

"Who are they?" I asked, referring to the cloaked group. Simon frowned.

"Those are the choir boys. I used to be in that choir a few years ago, but I was kicked out." Simon's eyes grew darker. "Said I fainted too much." I vaguely remembered that. My gaze then shifted to the red haired boy.

"And who is that?" I asked, subtly pointing at him. Curiosity burned within me.

"Him?" Simon said with a dull tone. "That's Jack Merridew. He's the leader of the choir boys."

I couldn't help but stare. I was curious about Jack and his choir. They facinated me for some strange reason. Suddenly I felt Simon elbow my side.

"Stop staring." He hissed through his teeth. My thoughts began racing. Jack's presence seemed to really be bothering Simon. I sat thinking for so long that I almost didn't even realize someone had sat down in the seat on my other side.

_Great._ I thought._ I couldn't get away without sitting next to some stranger._ I let out a quiet sigh. _Oh well. Maybe they won't talk to me. _I wasn't much of a people person.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye at the stranger now sitting to my right. My mood immediately brightened. The boy sitting by me had fair hair and beautiful green eyes. _Wait. Beautiful?_ I felt my cheeks flush red. The fair boy looked at me and smiled.

"Hello." He smiled charmingly at me. "I hope you don't mind me sitting here." His voice was sincere and polite. I couldn't help but to look into those green eyes of his.

"No. I don't mind at all." I smiled coyly. He seems nice._ And cute._ I blushed again. _Why was I blushing so much?_ The fair haired boy must have noticed because he blushed too.

"My name is Ralph." He said quietly.

"I'm Angel." I said just as quiet. I hated being shy. _Why couldn't I be outgoing and confident?_ Ralph smiled.

"Angel? That's a pretty name."

That remark caused me to blush an even deeper red. _My, he was charming!_ I felt butterflies taking over my stomach.

"Thanks." I said softly. I began looking around the plane again to distract myself from blushing and my eyes went straight to one person: Jack. Jack was talking with a boy with black hair. Jack stopped talking suddenly and looked over my direction. I lowered my eyes ashamed to be caught staring at him. Apparently Jack didn't mind because when I slowly looked back up, he winked at me. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. Jack chuckled to himself as my face immediately flushed the same colour as his hair. I guess he got joy out of seeing my embarrassment. I fixed my gaze back to straight ahead, too humiliated to look at anything.

_Maybe if I don't look at anyone, I'll stop blushing._ It was then that I realized I was the only girl on this plane. I looked around for another female, but I couldn't find one. I tapped Simon's arm. He stopped looking out the window and turned my direction.

"What?" He asked blankly.

"Am I the only girl on this plane?" I asked. I looked from person to person again to double check. Simon looked also.

"It looks like it." He caught the worried look on my face and quickly added, "Don't worry Angel. I won't let anything bad happen to you." He patted my arm and grinned. I loved his protection.

"Thanks Simon. I appreciate that." It was the truth. My whole life he was always there for me. Through the best and worst times of my life. I shivered thinking about the past. I sighed and closed my eyes. I felt Simon pat my head and I smiled, slowly drifting off to sleep.

When I woke up I glanced over at Simon. His head was supported by his hands. He didn't look so good.

"Simon?" I asked. He looked up. I could of sworn his face was actually a faint shade of green.

"Huh?"

"You look sick."

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm not too fond of being up in the air. I'll be right back."

And with that, he hurried off to the bathroom. I shook my head feeling sorry for him. I looked over at Ralph and saw he was sleeping peacefully. I smiled. He looked adorable in his peaceful slumber. I then sat up in me seat, sensing something wasn't quite right. I then heard a loud sound as the engine of the plane exploded in a ball of smoke. I felt the plane begin to lurch downwards. I screamed along with everyone else on the plane._ Simon!_ He was still in the bathroom sick! I didn't know what to do. If I went to go get him, the door would most likely be locked. I cursed under my breath. The plane kept going downwards and I heard Ralph, now alert and awake, gasp beside me. His face was a mask of worry and terror. I felt tears rolling down my face._ I didn't want to die. Not like this!_ Ralph looked over at me and took my hand, weakly smiling. I forced a weak smile at him and grabbed his arm. I didn't care that I barely knew him. If I was about to die, I might as well die feeling protected by someone. Ralph and I grabbed on to each other as the plane fell out of the sky.

And then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_This is a place where your mind can escape  
All the problems today and go far, far away  
This is a time with no history  
Welcome to mystery_

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I became very aware of two things. One: I was no longer on a plane, but on the dirty ground of a jungle. And two: Ralph was laying next to me with his arm slung across my back. I blushed at this realization and shook him awake. He mumbled something unknown and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw where his arm was he pulled it back as if had touched fire., clearly embarrassed. I chuckled quietly to myself and stood up. My whole body ached terribly. I examined myself and found that I was covered in cuts and bruises. I ran my finger over them. At least I was lucky enough to survive the crash. Then I thought of Simon. Simon! Where was he? In a panic, I started speed walking away in pursuit to find him. Ralph jumped up and began following me.

"Where are you going?" He asked trying to catch up with me.

"To find my brother." I replied in a frantic voice. There was no way that I could have lost him. If Simon was dead, then I might as well be too. Ralph and I started climbing through the creepers. Then we heard a voice behind us.

"Hi! Wait a minute!" It said. Then we saw the owner of the voice. It was a kid about our age. Maybe slightly younger. He was very fat with thick spectacles.

"Are there any others?" He asked. Ralph and I glanced at each other. Neither of us knew. I was the first to speak.

"I'm not sure. We were just on our way to find my brother."

The fat boy nodded. "I'll join. And I expect we'll all want to know names."

Ralph and I both nodded.

"I'm Ralph."

"I'm Angel."

"Ralph and Angel." The fat boy repeated to himself. "I don't care what you call me. As long as they don't call me what they used to at school." He lowered his gaze to the ground.

Ralph looked interested. "What was that?"

The fat boy looked up. "Piggy." He whispered.

Ralph and I both burst into a fit of laughter.

"Piggy! Piggy!" We both cried.

Piggy looked insulted. "Aren't we supposed to be looking for your brother?"

I stopped laughing. _Oh yeah. Simon. Right._

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry," I said. "Let's go."

I began to walk out of the jungle with Ralph and Piggy behind me. Ralph was still chuckling to himself over Piggy's name. After walking for a little while, we found ourselves on a beach. We walked past a platform of pink granite and walked through the shallow ocean. Ralph and I strolled side by side and Piggy trotted a few steps behind us. Ralph suddenly stopped and pointed.

"What's that?" He was pointing at something creamy laying in the sand.

"A stone?" I suggested.

"No." Piggy started. "That's a shell. I've seen one like that before. It's called a conch."

Ralph bent over and scooped it up from the sand. He carefully examined it.

"Ralph!" Piggy cried suddenly. "We can use it to call the others and have a meeting. Maybe we'll even find Angel's brother."

My face lit up. I desperately wanted to know where he was and if he was okay. "How do we use it to call them?" I asked.

Piggy pointed to a spot on the shell. "You blow it from here. I would do it, but I can't on the account of my asthma."

Ralph looked at Piggy. "Sucks to your ass-mar!" He then proceeded to lift the shell to his lips and blow. A deep, loud note sounded and echoed back from the mountains. We all looked at the shell in amazement. Ralph found his breath and continued to blow a series of short blasts. Children started emerging from the jungle. Piggy went over to them and began to take names. Ralph, now out of breath, stopped and looked over at me.

"Any sign of your brother yet?" He asked. I could see it in his eyes that he was geniunely concerned. My eyes scanned the beach and through the children.

"No." I said sadly. "Not yet."

"He'll turn up. Trust me." Ralph smiled reassuringly. Then, from across the beach, we saw a party of boys marching in two lines. They were all dressed in matching black cloaks._ Wait. Cloaks?_ I perked up. _Jack! Jack was on this island too!_ I smirked to myself and stood on my tip toes for a better view. When they reached us, Jack was the first to speak of the choir boys.

"Where's the man with the trumpet?" He demanded.

"There's no man with a trumpet. Only me." Ralph answered.

"Isn't there a man here?"

"No. We're having a meeting. Come and join us."

Jack sat down on a trunk and looked at everyone. Piggy came up beside me. "We'd better all have names." Piggy started naming off names he already had.

"You're talking too much," said Jack. "Shut up, Fatty."

"He's not Fatty," cried Ralph. "His name's Piggy!"

We all went into another fit of laughter.

"Piggy!"

"Piggy! Piggy!"

Piggy bowed his head and started cleaning his glasses. He was pink in the face. When the laughter died down, we started learning names. I met Sam and Eric, who were identical twins, Maurice, Roger, Bill, Robert, Harold, and Henry. Last, but certainly not least, I was introduced to Jack. Jack took my hand and kissed it. "My name is Jack Merridew." He smirked at me. I giggled and felt my face go red. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ralph rolling his eyes.

We all walked to the platform and sat down. I was staring off into space when I heard my name being called from a distance.

"Angel! Angel!" The voice cried over and over again. I sat up excitedly. I knew that voice anywhere! I scrambled to my feet and began running towards the voice.

"Simon!" I yelled. We both collided with each other with an elated, loving hug. I felt myself start to tear up. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but after what seemed like hours, I pulled apart.

"Are you okay?" I asked frantically.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" He said back entusiastically. He grinned at me. "Even better now!"

I beamed. "Good! I was so worried." I grabbed his hand and lead him back to where everyone else was sitting. They all watched with curiousity.

"Everyone," I started. "This is my brother Simon." Simon waved. He seemed nothing but smiles until he saw Jack. Him and Jack glared at each other until I lead Simon away and sat down. Jake spoke first.

"We've got to decide about being rescued."

Ralph nodded. "Seems to me like we ought to have a chief to decide things," he said.

I ought to be chief," said Jack. "I'm chaper chorister and head boy. And I can sing C sharp," he added proudly.

"And how does singing C sharp help us in this situation? Are you going to summon a ship with your singing?" Ralph said sarcastically while rolling his eyes. Jack glared at him, his face flushing furiously. Everyone else found it hilarious though.

"Let's have a vote." Roger suggested. Everyone turned and looked at him. This was the first time anyone had heard him say something.

Ralph agreed. "Alright. Who wants Jack for chief?"

With obedience, the choir raised their hands.

Ralph nodded. "And who wants me?"

Everyone else, including myself, raised their hands.

"I'm chief then." Ralph concluded. He looked at Jack. "The choir belongs to you of course."

"They shall be the hunters." Jack answered flatly.

Ralph looked at everyone. "We've got to decide if this is an island. Three of us shall go on an expedition. I'll go, and Jack, and. . . "

He scanned the crowd. "And Simon."

Simon nodded. "I'll come."

The three boys went off on their expedition leaving me with the littluns, Piggy, and the choir members. A few littluns looked up at me. "Hi!" They greeted in unison. They introduced themselves as Johnny, Percival, and Adam.

I couldn't help but smile at their cuteness. "Well hello," I greeted back. "Wanna play a game?" I wanted to find a way to keep them happy and distracted by the terrifying situation we were all in.

Their eyes lit up. "A game?" asked Johhny. "What kind of game?" I smiled and sat down in the sand. "It's called tic-tac-toe." I looked around and grabbed a small twig. I then proceeded to teach the kids how to play. Percival's small hand gripped the twig and drew an "X" onto the grid drawn in the sand. He passed the twig off to Johhny. Johhny stared at the grid, planning his next move. I shifted my gaze to Adam. He had been sitting quietly off to the side the whole time, not saying one word. I rose from my spot on the sand and shuffled over to him, taking a seat next to him.

"Hi," I greeted with a warm, comforting smile. "You're Adam, right?"

Adam shyly shook his head, his brown curls bouncing with his movement. I was determined to get him to talk, so I proceeded to ask questions. "Why don't you go play with the other boys?" Adam immediately shook his head. I bit my lip with confusion. I decided to be blunt. "What's wrong?"

Adam sighed and kept his gaze forward. "I don't want them to make fun of me," he said in a soft voice.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why would they make fun of you?"

Adam looked as if he were about to cry. "Because of this." He turned his face so I could see his cheek. He had a mulberry-coloured birthmark on the side of his face.

"Oh, Adam," I said. "They boys aren't going to make fun of you for that."

"But they did back home," he quietly protested. His blue eyes vagued watched the sea.

I shook my head. "They won't here. Even if they do, come get me. I'll fix it." I then smiled at him, hoping he would have a sense of comfort around me. To my surprise, I got a smile back. Adam, looking slightly relieved, held out his arms to me. Smiling even more, I leaned into them, wrapping my arms around the child for a motherly hug.

"Why don't you go play with the others now?" I kindly suggested. Adam grinned up at me and nodded. We stood up and he slipped his small hand into mine. I led him to where Johnny and Percival were still playing tic-tac-toe. "Do you mind if Adam plays with you guys?" I asked.

Johnny greeted Adam with a smile. "Hello! I'm glad you came. Percival is the worst tic-tac-toe player ever!" Percival began to tear up and Johnny rolled his eyes.

I took a deep breath. "Johnny please be nice." Johhny looked up ashamed and sent me a reassuring smile that he would. I nodded in approval and began to walk back towards the platform. I took a seat on one of the logs and watched Piggy scrambling around trying to get names still. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I knew it was mean, but I still found humour in it.

"What's so funny?" I glanced over my shoulder and I saw Roger eyeing me with a curious expression. I blankly stared back at him. He gave me bad vibes and I couldn't help but feel extreme intimidation. Unfortunately, he sat down on the log next to me. "I asked you a question," he demanded harshly.

I jumped at the tone of his voice. "I- I was just laughing at the way Piggy is scrambling around," I stuttered. Yes, I was intimidated by Roger, but I couldn't help but continue giggling at Piggy's antics. I watched on as Piggy quickly waddled around from person to person, determined to get all of their names.

I heard Roger darkly chuckle beside me. "It is kind of funny," he admitted. I felt an uncomfortable tension with Roger, and wasn't sure whether to run away in terror from him, or stay and not risk making any sudden movements. So I just stayed rooted to my log and we both watched Piggy run around like a chicken with its head cut off.

After awhile, we grew bored with Piggy and stood up, deciding to head back to the beach. _When would Ralph, Jack, and Simon be back?_ I felt uneasy without Simon around.

"The only girl," I said quietly under my breath. "This could be dangerous."


	3. Chapter 3

_And so I'm sailing through the sea_  
_To an island where we'll meet_  
_You'll hear the music fill the air_  
_I'll put a flower in your hair_  
_Though the breezes, through trees _  
_Move so pretty, you're all I see_  
_As the world keeps spinning round_  
_You hold me right here right now_

* * *

I was sitting with the littluns and playing in the sand when I heard the conch sound. Holding the small, pudgy hands of Adam and Johnny, we all walked to the platform and sat down with everyone else.

"Looks like they're done with their expedition." I murmered to myself.

When we were all settled, Ralph cleared his throat.

"Well then," He began. "We're on an island. We've been on the mountain top and have seen water all round." He went on into detail about what they saw on their trip. Then we established rules we were to follow. I noticed the group of littluns pushing a boy foward. It was obvious he didn't want to speak, but the others kept urging him. My motherly instincts kicking in, I went over and knelt by him. He whispered something in my ear. I looked at him and shrugged my shoulders. I spoke for him.

"He wants to know what you plan to do about the snake-thing," I said with a hint of confusion in my voice.

Ralph and the others began laughing. The small boy looked as if he were about to cry. "Tell us about the snake-thing," Ralph said.

The little boy whispered something in my ear again. "Now he says it is a beastie." I announced.

"Beastie? Where?"

"In the woods."

"You couldn't have a beastie on an island," Ralph explained gently. "You only get them in big countries."

I nodded. "He must have had a nightmare."

Everyone agreed. The beastie topic was dropped and Ralph went on to explain how we should keep a signal fire and build shelters. After the meeting was dismissed, we made a fire and then all went seperate ways. The littluns went to play in the sand and water, the choir went hunting, and everyone else sat around looking into the ocean. Ralph, Simon, and I were the only ones building shelters. We weren't getting much accomplished. The shelters weren't very sturdy. After about an hour, Simon dismissed himself to go bathe, leaving Ralph and I alone. I figured now was a good time to bring up my problem of being the only girl. I decided to not beat around the bush and come right out.

"Ralph?"

"Hmmm?"

"You've realized that I'm the only girl on this island, right?"

Ralph raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

I ran my hand through my hair. "Well, being surrounded by a bunch of guys... I don't know... worries me. I feel so vulnerable..." I looked down at the ground.

Ralph reached out and grabbed my chin gently, raising it up so I would make eye contact with him. "Angel, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I want you to know that. Simon will also protect you of course. Nothing bad will happen to you with us around."

His eyes gleamed with kindness, and he smiled a geniue smile. Not one of those awful smirks like Roger's. I looked into his green eyes.

"Thanks Ralph," A smile crept onto my lips, but quickly faded as something I hadn't previously thought of occurred to me. "So... uhh.. where exactly am I going to sleep?" I asked sheepishly. I sure as hell didn't want to be alone at night. I shivered and dismissed the scary thoughts clouding my head.

Ralph blushed. "You could always sleep in my hut with me. I mean.. uhh.. if you wanna. So you can.. uhh.. you know.. feel protected."

I softly giggled at his shyness. "That sounds good to me."

Ralph looked relieved. "Good. And don't worry. Nothing will harm you while I'm around." He looked over his shoulder at the huts. "Wanna take a break from this?" He asked.

"Yes!" I said a little too eagerly. We'd been working for hours and he hadn't made much progress, considering it was only the three of us. No one else seemed to want to help build. Ralph and I walked away from the poorly constructed huts and headed for the beach. Walking side by side, we idly talked about what our lives were like back home, our hobbies, and other casual subjects. After we tired of walking, we sat down on the edge of the beach where the waves were coming in. I smiled as the waves lapped up against my feet and legs. I rather enjoyed this. Looking to my left, I could see Ralph was enjoying this as well. I smiled at him. I was happy he was here on this island with me. Like Simon, Ralph gave me a sense of comfort and safety. I could tell that he was a genuine person that was caring and kind by nature. I then realized I was still smiling over at Ralph. He caught my eye and returned the smile. I blushed, feeling foolish that I had been caught staring. Ralph let out a quiet laugh and layed back onto the sand. Following his action, I too layed back. We stared up at the sky in silence, both enjoying the peace, quiet, and each other's presence. His hand took mine and I did my best to keep my cool. I took and deep breath and closed my eyes. I became so relaxed that I almost didn't realize the dark shadow that loomed over us. I looked up and gasped at what I saw above me.


	4. Chapter 4

_Always confusing the thoughts in my head_  
_So I can't trust myself anymore_  
_I'm dying again, I'm going under_  
_Drowning in you, I'm falling forever_  
_I've got to break through_  
_So go on and scream_  
_Scream at me, I'm so far away_  
_I won't be broken again_  
_I've got to breathe, I _  
_can't keep going under_

* * *

"Am I interupting something?" I heard a voice say dryly. Jack was standing directly over us, blocking our sun. He peered down at us mockingly.

Ralph sat up and glared at him with an irritable expression on his face. I, however, just sat there embarrssed that I had been that startled from his voice.

"So Angel," Jack began, changing the subject. "Do you want to go hunting with me?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No. Why would I waste my time doing that when I could be building shelters and fires? That seems more important if you ask me."

Jack stared at me. "So you would rather lay here and hang around with him?" He looked disgusted with me.

I was getting irritated with him. I shot him a dirty look. "Well, yes. Yes I would."

Jack huffed and walked away, blantly annoyed. I watched him go, relieved that he was gone. I layed back down and sighed.

Ralph layed down next to me and turned on his side to face me. "Don't let him get to you." He patted my back. "I'm gonna go back to work on the shelters. I'll see you later, alright?" And with that, he too walked away. I was left laying in the middle of the beach alone with my thoughts. I didn't understand the tension between Ralph and Jack. They always looked so annoyed with each other. I shook my head and got to my feet. I decided the best thing for me to do for the rest of the day was bathe then help Ralph build the shelters. I began walking towards the jungle to finish out my day.

_I was nine years old and was waiting for my father to come home. Simon, eagarly waiting beside me, ruffled my hair. Simon, mother, some family friends, and I had a surprise birthday party waiting for my dad. Any minute he would walk through that door and Simon and I would run to greet him with hugs and kisses. Thirty minutes went by and still no sign of father. I glanced at my worried mother. Her pale face was a mask of worry and imapaitence. Another hour went by and still no father. I had fallen asleep on Simon's shoulder. Simon sat with his head in his hands fighting off sleep. Mother sat on the chair across from our couch, and our guests were either leaving or shifting impatiently. Finally, we heard a loud knock on the door. The noise immediately brought me out of my sleep. Father was home! Mother jumped up and ran to the door. When she opened it, her face fell. Two policemen were standing on the porch. Simon and I watched with confused eyes as the police explained what happend to mother. They explained that father was on his way home when he was hit head on by a drunk driver. The impact had killed him instantly. I froze. No. No it couldn't happen! Daddies were supposed to die when they were old, not young! I burst into uncontrollable tears. I knew that I would never see my father again. No more hugs. No more spending time with him. No anything. I threw my arms around Simon, who was also bawling, and we sat in that embrace for what seemed to me like days. Mother sat next to us and held us close, tears also running down her face._

I woke up crying. That dream haunted me every single night, from the time I was nine, to now. I glanced to my left to see if Ralph was still asleep._ Yep; sound asleep._ If I stayed here, I would surely wake someone up with my pathetic sobbing. I slowly got up and crept out of our hut. I tip toed away from the shelters and into the jungle. Luckily I didn't wake anyone. I entered the jungle and layed down in the middle of the ground, still crying. Painful memories of my father came shooting back into my mind. I missed him so much. Ever since he died, my heart felt as if there were a big, gaping hole in it. Now that I was stranded on an island, I would probably never see my mother ever again either. I imagined her living on without her husband and two kids. I started crying even harder and tried to clear my mind of all the horrible things. I don't know how long I layed there, but I knew it had been awhile. Finally, my sobbing stopped and had turned into a few tears that streamed down every now and then. I felt completely sick to my stomach and couldn't bring myself to even move. I just continued to lay on the freezing jungle floor and look up at the sky. Suddenly I began to notice the soft footsteps behind me. I heard the rustling of leaving and felt my sick stomach drop. I scrambled to my feet and began running the opposite way. The footsteps behind me quickened their pace and began running as well. I ran through the jungle in complete panic and pain. Whoever, or whatever, was behind me was quickly gaining up on me. My chest heaved and my stomach lurched as I kept running blindly through the dark jungle. Just when I thought I had gotten away from whatever was chasing me, my foot got tangled up with a root in the ground and I came crashing down face first. I hit the ground hard and began moaning in pain. The thing that was chasing me was standing over me now.

"Angel! Are you okay?" It whispered frantically.

I recognized that voice. But what on earth was he doing out here? I opened my eyes and looked up at him with blurry eyes. "Jack? What are you doing out here?"

He looked confused. "I was going to ask you the same question. I was laying awake and saw you walk into the jungle. Is everything okay?" Even though it was dark, I could still see his light blue eyes. I didn't want to tell him about my dream. I didn't want Jack to know that I was constantly haunted by terrible memories. That I could never have a good night sleep without crying all night. I weakly looked at Jack, too embarassed to talk. I felt pathetic. I finally got the courage to speak up.

"Just bad dreams. That's all. I came out here so I could have some time alone to think." I rubbed my forehead. It hurt terribly. Jack noticed my pain.

"That was a pretty nasty fall you took." He squinted his eyes trying to look at my forehead. "From what I can see it's bruised pretty badly. I can't tell for sure though." He took up hand and helped me up. "You better get back to bed before Ralphie wakes up and realizes you're gone." He seemed to cringe at that statement. "He'd have a cow if he knew you ventured out here alone."

I shrugged my shoulders. I was grateful it was dark so Jack couldn't see my swelled, bruised face and my red, puffy eyes. "Yeah I guess."

Jack, still holding my hand, led me through the jungle and back to the shelters.

"Stay out of trouble now. No more tripping and injurying yourself." He chuckled.

"That'll be hard." I muttered. "I'm a bit of a klutz."

Jack smiled. "I see. Well good night Angel. Stay put this time." He turned on his heel and trotted back to his hut. I crawled back into my hut as silently as I could so I wouldn't wake Ralph. He kept on sleeping soundly. I envied him. I would give anything to sleep peacefully without being plauged with nightmares of the past. I sighed and drifted back into a nightmare filled sleep.

When I woke up, Ralph was already gone. I stood up and stumbled out of the hut. I saw the littluns playing on the beach, but I couldn't find any bigguns. Rubbing the sleepy haze from my amber eyes, I pulled myself up, stretched, and began my walk around the beach. I assumed Jack and the choir were already hunting, but where were Simon and Ralph? I walked to the edge of the jungled and peered in. _There was Simon!_ He was in a tree throwing fruit down while Piggy stood at the bottom catching them.

"Simon!" I called out.

He greeted me with a warm smile. "Angel! About time you woke up! Ralph was beggining to worry."

I bit my lip. He seemed to worry about me a lot.

"Wait a second. Angel, what happened to your head?" Simon asked.

_The bruise! I had almost forgotten about that!_ I silently cursed myself for my carelessness. _I just had to venture out into the jungle. If I were smarter, I could have just gone to the other side of the beach._ I groaned out loud at my stupidity.

"Long story. Tell you later. Oh and where is Ralph?"

"He's tending to the signal fire right now." Piggy piped up with a grin on his face.

"Thanks." I muttered. I nodded at them and walked away, leaving Simon with a confused look on his face. I knew he sensed something was wrong, but I really didn't feel like talking about it. I knew Simon would scold me for carelessness anyways.

When I approached Ralph, he took one look and flinched. "Angel! What happened? Where'd that brusie come from? And don't take this the wrong way, but you look like you haven't slept in days!" He rambled.

I sighed. "It's a long story," I repeated for the second time today.

Ralph frowned. "Are you alright?"

I blankly stared at him and began rambling to myself in my head._ Well, other than the fact that I have a giant bruise on my head, bags under my eyes, and haven't peacfully sleep in over seven years, I'm just fine._

However, I didn't plan plan on saying any of this to Ralph. Maybe I'd tell him eventually, but not now. I looked at him and faked a smile. "Yeah, I'm alright."

He nodded. "Good. Can you help me with the fire?"

"Sure." I bent down and threw some sticks into the flames. My mind began to wander and I found myself thinking about Jack and how concerned he seemed last night. Maybe he wasn't that bad. Nevertheless, I still found him attractive.

_But so was Ralph._

I felt much more comfortable around Ralph. He always seemed concerned about me. Jack, on the other hand, I was intimidated by. I'm not sure why, but I was. Ralph pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Angel, you're really quiet. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Ralph's eyes shined with concern.

I wasn't sure what to say. "Uhh.. I didn't sleep too well last night. Bad dreams."

Ralph nodded. "I see." He turned his attention back to the fire.

I sighed, thankful he didn't ask any more questions.

After a long day of working on the fire and mindless chatter, Ralph and I started heading back to the beach._Hopefully the hunters caught_ _something. I was starving!_ When we reached our destination, everyone was sitting in a circle eating pig. After Ralph and I ate, we decided to go to bed. I layed awake staring straight ahead. I dreaded sleeping and dreaming. I sighed and fought off sleep. I turned my head to the side and looked at Ralph. He was awake as well. He lifted his head and met my gaze.

"Having trouble sleeping again?" He asked.

I nodded. "You have no idea." To be honest, he really didn't.

He smiled sympathetically and put his arm around me. "May I?" He asked.

I felt butterflies in my stomach. "Sure," I squeaked. _My, he was such a gentleman._

I slowly drifted off to sleep in Ralph's arms and once again was plauged with nightmares for the rest of the night. Only this time, I didn't wake up crying.


	5. Chapter 5

_You should have known_  
_The price of evil_  
_And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah_  
_No one to call_  
_Everybody to fear_  
_Your tragic fate is looking so clear, yeah_  
_Ooooh_  
_It's your fucking nightmare_

* * *

Once again, I woke up alone. I rolled over onto my back and looked up at the roof of the hut. I sighed. _Another day of working to survive. I hated working. I wished I could go back home. Back to a sheltered, carefree world of no responisibliy._ I shook my thoughts away and climbed to my feet. Vision still blurred with sleep, I stumbled out of the hut and went to go find some breakfast. I winced as the bright sunlight hit my eyes and began stumbling to the jungle. Except for a few littluns playing on the beach, I couldn't find anyone else.

"Must be looking for food as well." I muttered under my breath. I reached the jungle and began to search for some fruit. Sure enough, there was everyone else with the same idea as me. Feeling crabby and unsocial, I scrambled off into a different direction where no one else was. I tilted my head up and my eyes scanned the trees for fruit. Finally, I found some. The only problem was it was high up, requiring me to climb the tree to get it. I groaned and considered getting someone to go get it for me. Then I realized I had tracked off away from everyone else and wasn't sure where they were. I shook my head and decided to just climb the tree and get it myself. I reached up for one branch and swung myself into the tree.

"Okay," I muttered aloud to myself. "This isn't so bad." I began picking fruit and gathering them together in my left arm. I used my right arm to try to get myself down. I leaned forward to grab a branch with my free arm to get down, but missed. The fruit went flying out of my hand and I tumbled out of the tree and landed on the ground hard. I rolled onto my back, in immense pain, and cried out. I heard rapid footsteps approach me.

"Angel! What happened?" I heard a vague voice yell out. My ears were ringing from the hard contact with the ground. I opened my blurry eyes and saw Jack knelt beside me. My face went red. He always came at the worst possible time.

"I uhh.. fell out of a tree getting fruit." I said ashamed. Tears were softly coming out of my eyes. I had gotten awfully banged up in these last couple days.

Jack gently extended his arm out and caressed my cheek. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about. At least you're independent." He smiled.

_Independent. Right._ He had no idea that I was used to having everything handed to me and that I was origionally going to make someone get the fruit for me.

_But he didn't have to know that._

I looked at him. "Really?" I asked with doubtfullness. Of course I was going to be embarassed about falling out of a tree. I sighed and rubbed my head. It was slightly bleeding.

Jack noticed the blood on my hand and his eyes widened. "Angel, you're bleeding!" He scooped me up in his arms and held me as if I weighed nothing.

"Jack I'm.. I'm fine." I stuttered. "A little dizzy, but I'm fine."

Jack continued holding me. "Are you sure?"

I smiled. "Of course. I've learned my lesson about climbing trees."

Jack chuckled. "You may want to come get me next time."

I laughed and looked up into his eyes. They were two pools of light blue that made my insides melt. I became lost in them, as he did mine. We both stared into each other's eyes in the middle of the jungle for what seemed like hours. He suddenly realized he was still holding me and put me back down.

"Uh. Sorry about that." He blushed.

I blushed too. "I don't mind," I said awkwardly.

We both stood there not knowing what to say. He decided to break the silence.

"We should probably be getting back."

"Yeah, probably." I agreed. My stomach then growled. I had totally forgotten about the fruit.

Jack chuckled. "Sounds like you're hungry."

I meekly nodded. It was true. I was starving, but certainly wasn't planning on climbing anything again. I didn't want to add anything more to the collection of assorted bruises and cuts that were beginning to dominate my body. It was if Jack had read my mind. In one swift move, he gracefully swung up into the tree and dropped some fruit down into my arms. He then slipped back down onto the ground without ease. I stared at him in envy.

He smirked. "You might want to keep me around more often."

I laughed and tossed some fruit at him. He caught it and took my hand, leading me out of the jungle and back to the beach. We sat down by the water eating our breakfast in silence. When we finished our fruit, we dreamily gazed into the ocean, watching the powerful waves crash onto the beach.

"You know," He started. "Sometimes I think ending up on this island was a good thing." He smiled at me.

I smiled back shyly. "You really think so?"

Jack grinned. "I _know _so." He looked thoughtful before he closed his eyes and leaned in towards me.

Butterflies flew rampantly within the deep pits of my stomach as his warm lips oh-so-delicately brushed against my cheek. This island was changing me. I had never really thought about boys before, which was apparently considered odd for a girl of sixteen. Now, all of a sudden, I began noticing them. I still felt extremely awkward around them though. I wasn't what one would call experienced; naive was a more fitting word. Nevertheless, I felt peaceful as Jack and I stared off into the beautiful ocean, his hand entwined with mine. Sadly, it didn't last long, for we heard loud, stomping footsteps behind us.

"What are you guys doing?" an irritated voice rang out.

I instinctively yanked my hand out of Jack's and looked behind us. Ralph was glaring at both of us, his face red with rage. I thought I detected a hint of jealously in his voice.

"Neither of you guys have helped with anything today." Ralph spat angrily. His once soft eyes were now hard and full of anger.

I lowered my eyes feeling guilty, but Jack held his head high with confidence. "We've been busy today." He said smirking.

Ralph quivered with rage. "Busy? You call this productive? While the rest of us are straining ourselves working, you guys are just sitting here in your own little perfect world. Do you not care about being saved?"

I continued to not make eye contact with Ralph. I had been so intrigued with Jack, that I had almost forgotten about him. _Why did they both_ _have to be so charming?_ I heard Jack and Ralph yelling at each other, but I was too upset to listen. I honestly couldn't keep my feelings straight. I began feeling sick to my stomach again. The thought of either of them hating me made me want to hurl. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack walking away. I turned around and faced Ralph. His green eyes shined with hurt as he stared at me with confusion.

"Jack? Why Jack? What does he have that I don't?" He asked.

I swallowed and felt my eyes widened. I didn't know how to answer this question. "Nothing. He's just..." My voice was fading. I felt weak and on the verge of tears. It was the worst feeling in the world to hurt someone you cared for.

"He's what?" Ralph prompted, eager to know.

I pushed my hair back and bit my lip. "He's.. I don't know. It's impossible to describe, Ralph." I whispered.

Ralph looked at me. "Angel, you know I care about you, right? It kills me to see you with _him_." He avoided using Jack's name.

"But I'm not with EITHER of you, so get lost and leave me alone!" I spat angrily. As soon as those harsh words left my mouth, I immediately wished I could have taken them back.

I looked into Ralph's eyes and it nearly killed me on the spot; I felt as if I could see into his soul. I saw hurt in them and I felt myself let out a weak, pathetic cry in shock.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. It was all I could choke out. I turned on my heel and ran away as fast as I could, tears streaming down my face. Ralph stood and watched me go shaking his head sadly. I kept on running. I didn't know where I was running to, but I know it was away from everyone. I entered the jungle running through all the creepers and leaves. I could barely see as unwanted tears clouded my vision. I continued deeper and deeper into the jungle until I finally tripped over something unknown and landed on the cold, unforgiving ground for the second time today. I made no attempt to get up as I lay on the dirty ground, crying uncontrolably. I curled myself into the fetal position and stayed like this for the rest of the day, lost in my own self-loathing.

"Why does this have to be so hard?" I whined aloud. "Why? Why? Why?" I repeated over and over to myself until I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I realized it was the middle of the night. It was so dark outside, that I could barely see my hand in front of my face. My stomach dropped. I had no idea where I was and had no idea how to get back to the beach where the huts were. I shivered from the terror of being lost and weakly stood up. I began to wander around the jungle, occasionally bumping into trees and other various objects I couldn't see. I don't know how long I had been wandering, but what seemed like hours, I gave up and plopped back onto the cold ground, still feeling sick from earlier. I crawled over to a bush and felt myself heave, throwing up the fruit I had eaten earlier this morning. When I finished, I shakily wiped my mouth and threw myself against the ground, still feeling awful. Suddenly, I felt something warm touch my hand. I went to scream, but my voice couldn't make a sound. I froze in terror as I peered into the darkness looking for whatever was out there.

"Angel, what in the world are you doing out here?" I heard a familar voice say.

I let my breath out. "Simon. What a relief to see you."

Simon squinted into the darkness. "Well?" He demanded.

I could barely see his concerned face in the darkness. "I'm having... umm... relationship issues." I admitted sheepishly.

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Ralph?" He asked.

"Ralph and Jack both." I blurted. Shocked at what I said, I covered my mouth in horror. Simon was not going to be happy about this.

Simon's eyes widened. "Jack?" He nearly screamed. "Angel, what are you thinking?"

"I don't know, Simon. Please don't make me explain it. It's literally impossible to." Cold, fat tears began falling from my hazel eyes. "I don't know what it is, but something about him intrigues and lures me in," I said through choked sobs. "And I lost my temper on Ralph. I'm a horrible person." I leaned forward and went limp into his lap, crying.

Simon looked down at me sympathetically, but was clueless how to comfort me. He seemed slightly awkward about this subject. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around me into a long hug, doing his best to calm me down.

"You're not a horrible person, Angel."

My sobbing slowly started to cease and I regained concesiousness of my mind. "What exactly are you doing in here in the middle of the night?" I asked Simon weakly.

He stared off into the distance somewhere and took a breath. "I come here every night to think and be alone. It's the only time of the day I can be away from everyone."

I looked at him confused, but didn't question him. Sure I found it odd, but at least he wasn't pathetically crying on the ground.

"How do I get back to the huts?" I asked my brother.

Simon rose and pulled me up with him. "I'll lead you there," he volunteered. He grabbed my arm and lead me through the dark jungle, obviously aware of where he was going. It didn't take long to reach the beach. When we emerged out of the jungle, he gave me one last hug.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" He asked, making sure I wouldn't do anything reckless or stupid again.

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." I playfully punched his shoulder. Simon ruffled my hair and then went back to his sanctuary in the jungle. I walked as silently as I could around the beach looking for a particular hut. When I found it, I crept inside and shook Jack awake. He opened his eyes and sleepily smiled at me. I layed down and he wrapped his arms around me. I cuddled up against him and went into a deep sleep.

_I was sitting on a boulder in the middle of the jungle watching two boys fight. Ralph and Jack were violently hitting each other with spears, using all their strength as I watched in horror, unsure of what to do. I didn't know which one I wanted to win. Ralph swung his spear at Jack and smacked him across the face. Jack winced and kicked Ralph to the ground. Ralph scrambled to get up, but Roger popped out of no where and held him down. I jumped to my feet and kicked Roger in the stomach. He flinced, but wasn't affected by my weak attempt. His evil eyes glared at me as he pushed me as hard as he could. I hit the ground with a thud and jumped right back up. Roger snapped and Robert and Maurice also apeared and both held Ralph down. Roger pushed me against a tree and tied my arms around the trunk with a vine. Now I was helpless. I continued to scream until my voice went hoarse. Jack suddenly returned with a new spear that was sharpened at both ends. He approached Ralph and looked down at him with hatred. Ralph was struggling and screaming, but he couldn't get out of Robert and Maurice's strong hold. He finally gave up and limply layed back against the ground, just as helpless as me. Ralph looked at me. "I love you, Angel," he said. The second those words left his lips, Jack brought the spear down into Ralph's chest hard. Ralph screamed and twitched as blood spilled out of him. I stood against the tree, still tied, screaming and struggling helplessly. How could they do this to him? Jack, Roger, Maurice, and Robert laughed in dark unison as they started to approach me. Jack raised the spear over my head and brought it down hard._

I flew up screaming at the top of my lungs, franctically looking around. My hands flew to my head, checking to see if any of that had actually happened. Jack jumped up as well, alarmed by the sudden noises of panic.

"Angel? What's wrong?" Jack asked worriedly. He stared at me, eagarly awaiting an answer to confirm I was alright.

My breathing was fast and uneven as I stared at him in horror. "I... I... h-had a bad d-dream." I managed to gasp out. My whole body was shaking with terror.

Jack pulled me into his arms and rocked me against his chest. "I'm here. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. Okay? Nothing." He reassured me. His sharp, blue eyes bore into my hazel ones. He stroked my head and continued rocking me. I'd never felt so safe, yet vulnerable. My dream raised endless questions that flew through my mind in a scattered, stream-of-conscious way. _Why would I dream of Jack killing Ralph? Jack would never do such a thing. Jack was a kind person. He would never try to harm Ralph or me in any way possible._

_Right?_


	6. Chapter 6

_I like all the mixed emotion and anger _  
_It brings out the animal the power you can feel _  
_And feeling so high with this much adrenaline _  
_Excited, but scary to believe what we've become_

_Saints and sinners _  
_Something within us_  
_We are lord of the flies_

* * *

I layed awake thinking about my dream while Jack slept peacfully beside me. _What could it possibly mean?_ There was a vague vibe of dangerousness around Jack, but surely not as bad as the one in my dream. I knew Jack could never harm me, but why was I so worried? I was interuppted from my thoughts when Jack shifted in his sleep. He was now sleeping on his side with his arm slung over my body. I took advantage of this time to carefully study him. His red hair, which now hung in his eyes, was steadily growing longer. He had a few freckles across his pale skin, which was slightly sun burned, and his lips were a soft pink._ Oh his lips._ I fixed my gaze on them curiously. I wondered what kissing them would be like. My mind was racing. _Surely if I kissed them softly, he wouldn't wake._Slowly and quietly, I began to lean in. I stopped two inches away from his face and felt my face turn pink. _Was I really about to do this?_ With uneven breathing, I silently watched him with second thoughts. Instead, I ended up laying my head on his chest and curling up against him. In sleepy response, his arms closed around me. I smiled and rested my eyes. I didn't want leave this position. I didn't want to work at all. I wanted to just stay in the hut in Jack's arms all day. But if I did that, Ralph would surely get angry with us. _Ralph._ The fair boy flashed into my mind. I knew, even if I liked Jack, that I still had some feelings for him. I liked how protective and concerned he was around me. Then I went and screwed everything up by going off with Jack and leaving him behind. Finally, Jack began to stir, then eventually awake. He tilted his face down towards me.

"Morning." He said sleepily with a smile.

I smirked remembering I was still laying on his chest. "Good morning."

Jack looked at me with a blatant liking. "Comfortable?" He teased.

I giggled shyly. "Yes, very."

His arms around me tightened, bringing me closer. "That's what I like to hear." He whispered in my ear.

I shivered from the sensation of his hot breath by my ear, as my stomach began to twist and turn. I buried my head into his chest and sighed. I dreaded getting up. I didn't want to face another day of mindless labor, and I certainly didn't want to face Ralph.

Jack gently lifted my head off his chest and got to his feet.

_Bloody hell,_ I thought to myself. _I don't want him to get up._ My head shot out and grabbed his arm, attempting to pull him back. Jack raised an eyebrow at me.

"Looks like someone doesn't want me to leave." He chuckled. He bent down and looked into my eyes. "But I have to go hunt so we can get meat. Okay?"

I reluctantly nodded. I guess it was best since I was starving. Jack leaned his face in and kissed my cheek softly before walking out of the hut to start the day. He left me sitting in the hut staring after him, longing for him to come back and hold me. I brought my hand to my cheek and rubbed where his lips had been. It felt like an electric current had surged through me. I stood up, with a dumb, awestricken smile on my face, and trotted out of the hut as well. I squinted through the sunlight scanning the beach for Jack. I found him talking with Roger and Maurice by the edge of the forest. I absently licked my dry lips and started over towards them.

"Hey, sweetheart. Are you going to help us hunt today?" Jack asked enthusiastically. A faint gleam shimmered in his sharp, blue eyes.

I froze up._ Hunt? I couldn't possibly find it in me to kill another living creature._ Nevertheless, I didn't want to disapoint Jack. Now was my time to impress him. "Sure," I said, completely unsure of myself.

Roger snickered and elbowed Maurice. "A girl hunting? This should be funny. I bet she won't even last five minutes." They both doubled over laughing while Jack shot them a dirty look. I shook my head and tried my best to ignore them. Jack changed the subject to save me from embarrassment.

"I think we should paint ourselves so we can blend in with the jungle better. It'll make it harder for the pigs to see us," Jack said matter-of-factly. Roger and Maurice stopped laughing and looked up.

"Good idea, Jack." Maurice started. "But what are we going to use to paint ourselves?"

"We could use earth and clay." Jack suggested.

"And blood from the pigs." Roger added darkly with a smirk.

I gulped. _What was I getting myself into?_ The three boys went to assemble the hunters while I reluctantly followed, still unsure of why I was doing this. We all started into the jungle and began collecting clay. We smeared white and red clay all over our bodies as makeshift camouflage to hide ourselves from the pigs we so desperately wanted. After we were finished painting, we grabbed our spears and quietly decended into the jungle. Jack led the way through the creepers as we searched for our prey. My heart pounded in my chest. _Why was I here? I should be helping with huts or playing with the littluns. Not here!_ I was pulled out of my thoughts by a rustling nosie.

"Come on. This way," Jack whispered, leading us towards the noise. We approached a bush and saw it moving. We all nodded, knowing there was a pig in it. Everyone raised their spears over their head waiting for Jack's signal. I hesitantly lifted my spear up as well. The tribe waited axiously, eyes glued to the bush.

"Now!" Jack yelled. The pig scrambled out of the bush and we all hurled our spears at it. A couple of our spears struck the pig and it toppled to the ground, bleeding. The hunters gathered around it, forming an enclosed circle, and stabbed the pig repeatly to ensure it was dead. I stood and watched in horror as the pig cried and bled._ Why would I take part in such a thing?_ As if in response, my stomach growled loudly._ Oh yeah,_ I hunters had finished off their kill and began to carry it back to the fire. I followed, eager to eat the meat, though I was disgusted by the cruelty and bloody mess. We emerged out of the jungle and I started making my way to the beach. I decided to let the others take care of the cooking. I couldn't stand looking at the blood anymore; It made me want to throw up. I thought now would be a good time to visit with the littluns and maybe play with them for awhile. I saw Johnny, Henry, and Percival playing in the sand and decided to join them.

"Hey guys." I said warmly, trying to distract my mind from the bloodshed I had witnessed minutes ago.

The littluns smiled at the sound of my voice, but when they looked up, a frightened expression played upon their faces.

"Angel?" Johnny asked nervously. "Is that you?"

"Of course it is, Johnny. How many other girls do you know on this island?" I remarked. _Why were they afraid of me?_

The three littluns just stared at me, not knowing what to do or say. Finally, Henry spoke up.

"What's all over your skin?" He asked with curiousity.

I looked down at my war paint. "It's camouflage so when I'm hunting, the pigs can't see me."

Henry nodded while Percival and Johnny sat silently. I tried to lighten up the mood by sitting down and sculpting castles with the sand. The three littluns sat with me and joined in. I was so caught up in playing that I almost didn't see Ralph looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I excused myself from my playdate with the children and trotted over to Ralph. He was looking at me with a strange expression on his face.

"Hi," I said quietly. My eyes rose to meet his. He said nothing and continued to silently stare at me. I was getting tired of his silent treatment. "What?" I asked, frustration evident in my voice. Ralph finally spoke.

"Why are you painted?" He demanded raising an eyebrow at me.

"Camouflage for hunting," I responded harshly.

"Since when do you hunt?" Ralph asked flatly. He folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Since today," I said. _What was the deal with all these questions? Was I not allowed to do whatever I pleased?_

Ralph narrowed his eyes at me in disgust. "You look like a bloody savage," He remarked shaking his head. "It's disgusting."

I winced with surprise. _Did he just call me a savage?_ I felt rage building up in me. "Well I don't give a damn what you think!" I angrily spat. Now it was Ralph's turn to wince. His eyes flashed as he took a step toward me.

"You should. I don't want you to end up a savage," He replied. He reached his arm out and rested it on my shoulder. I brushed it off and stepped back with offense.

"You really think I'm going to resort to savagry? Just what kind of person do you take me for?" I demanded._ I was a proper young lady, not a savage!_ I glared at Ralph as he shifted back and forth uncomfortably back and forth.

"I just want to protect you from... _him_..." Ralph said softly. I knew right away that he was referring to Jack. I looked at him, confusion evident in my eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked. _Why in the world would I need to be protected from Jack?_ I felt a blush spread upon my face thinking about him.

Ralph's eyes were fixed to the ground. "I just don't wanna see you get hurt. I know what Jack is capable of. Don't you think he's a little too obsessed with hunting and _killing_?" Ralph put a certain emphasis on the word killing, I assumed, to make me feel uncomfortable. It worked.

"No," I lied. I'd clearly noticed how much Jack had enjoyed hunting. Perhaps my subconscious had taken notice of this fact and twisted it into a horrific nightmare. But I knew Jack would never hurt a human, therefore I defended him.

"He's trying his best to keep everyone fed on the island. If anything, you should be thanking him."

Ralph scowled at me. "Why are you defending that monster? He kills pigs and watches them bleed. I don't know about you, but I find that disgusting!"

I found the blood digusting as well, but I wasn't about to let Ralph know that. "He's not a monster. He's..."_Dreamy. Handsome. Sweet. Strong._ My mind searched for the right word. "Nice." I finished.

Ralph shook his head in defeat. "Whatever you say, Angel. Just please believe me. He's not what you think." And with that, he walked away. I turned on my heel and went back to my sand castle building with the littluns.

As the day went on, I couldn't focus on anything. Ralph's words haunted me. _He's not what you think._ What was that supposed to mean? How would Ralph know? I tried to push all of my thoughts out of my head as I searched for Jack. After playing with the littluns all day, I decided I to see how the cooking of the pig was going. When I reached the cooking fire, I saw that Jack was alone. He was turning the pig round and round on the stick over the fire. His face was focused and concentrated as he tried to cook the pig evenly. I took a deep breath and slowly walked up towards him.

"Well hello, handsome." I said in a soft, low voice.

Jack anxiously looked up at me with an excited, smug smile on his face. "And hello yourself, beautiful."

I walked up to the roasting pig and looked at it with mock admiration. "Oh. I was talking to the pig, but okay." I laughed.

Jack's face turned bright red. "Oh, I see how it is," He said with slight embarrassment.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" I asked while trying to hide my happy excitement.

Jack bit his lip. "Well, yes." He said quietly.

I smirked. "Well I guess my remark was for you and the pig both then."

Jack laughed. "Really? " He asked. "I didn't think dead pigs were considered handsome."

"Sure! Why not?" I smiled.

"Whatever you say." He said sarcastically. He patted a spot on the log he was sitting on. "Come here."

I obidiently walked over and sat down next to him.

"So what brings you up here?" Jack asked.

I twirled my hair around my finger. "I was bored and I wanted to come see you."

Jack took his attention off the pig and focused on me. "Really? I wanted to see you too." A smirk played upon his handsome face.

I felt an unwelcome blush spread across my face. Jack's attention was completely on me now. My attention went to his lips. They looked so soft and welcoming. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I continued to hungrily stare at him. He stared right back at me, looking as if he had the same desires. I thought I was about to lose my sanity as he started to slowly lean in. I saw his eyes close as he gently pressed his lips against mine. It was as if time had stopped and nothing existed anymore except us. I kissed back wholeheartedly as I finally got to taste his lips against mine.

_My first kiss. I just experienced my first kiss._

And it was certainly something I would never forget as long as I lived.


	7. Chapter 7

_When he holds you close, when he pulls you near _  
_When he says the words you've been needing to hear _  
_I'll wish I was him, 'cause those words are mine _  
_To say to you till the end of time_

* * *

A couple hours (and countless kisses) later, Jack and I finished cooking the pig. We walked hand-in-hand back down to the beach to invite the others to a feast. We were both beaming with joy as we happily strolled to the beach. However, we had decided it was best to not tell Ralph about our new relationship. If Ralph knew, I would never hear the end of it. I really didn't want to listen to endless tirades of how stupid I was for falling for a "horrible savage." As long as I was happy, I didn't care.

We finally reached the beach and joyously informed everyone that the pig was done cooking. Everyone jumped up and eagarly raced up to the fire, obviously hungry, while Jack and I lingered behind. When I went to follow the others, he grabbed my arm and gently pulled me back.

"Why don't we let them get a head start so we can have a little alone time?" Jack said with a sly smirk.

I liked where this was going. I put one arm around his neck and used the other to push some loose hair out of his face. His red hair was getting longer and longer each day.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." I said with a wink.

Jack gently raised my chin up towards him and lightly kissed my lips. I responded by wrapping both arms around him, pulling him closer. We stayed in that embrace for what seemed like a long time.

_The others are going to wonder where we are,_ I began to think to myself. Jack then ran his tongue along my bottom lip and I forgot all of my thoughts. _Who cares? No one will notice._

Almost as if on cue, I heard a gasp behind us.

"When the hell did this happen?" A familar voice yelled. Jack and I quickly pulled apart and wirled around to meet the owner of the voice. It was Ralph who had spoke, while Simon stood next to him, wide eyed and shocked. My face flushed as they continued to stare at us, not knowing what to say. Finally, it was my brother who spoke.

"Well? Are you going to answer us?" Simon asked irritably.

Jack and I glanced at each other, both too embarrassed to talk. Finally, I gathered up my courage and confronted my brother.

"This happened today," I said with false confidence. I looked Simon right in the eyes. "Why do you guys care?"

Simon winced at my words. "I care because I'm your brother! I want what's best for you!" He was definitely not too pleased with what I had done.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh why don't you just crawl back to your little jungle sanctuary and leave me alone."

Simon stared at me in disbelief. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but changed his mind and closed it. He shook his head at me and began to walk away without any more words.

I instantly began feeling guilty. "Simon!" I yelled after him. Ignoring my cry, he kept on walking as if I hadn't spoken at all. I began feeling sick to my stomach with the thought of losing my brother. I couldn't stand him being angry with me. I began to run after him, but an arm grabbed me before I could get anywhere. Ralph was holding me back with a concerned look upon his fair face.

"Can I have a private word with you?" He asked with a hint of hurt in his voice.

I watched Simon descend out of view, then fixed my gaze on Ralph. "Sure."

He led me to the other side of the beach and away from Jack. Jack furrowed his eyebrows and began running after us.

"Just where exactly do you plan on taking her?" Jack asked protectively.

Ralph rolled his eyes. "Relax. I just want to have a quick word with your little girlfriend. Then I'll return her to you."

Jack nodded and began walking the same direction my brother had gone. Within mintues, he too had disappeared. Ralph watched him leave, then turned his attention to me.

"Angel, how many times do I have to tell you? Why are you with Jack? You know he's capable of danger!" Ralph yelled._ So this is why he wanted Jack out of earshot._

I looked up at Ralph with a bored expression on my face. I was getting fed up with being lectured like a child from him. "Why the hell do you care?" I said cooly.

Ralph looked at me with mixed emotions. "Because I care about you. I told you I would protect you as long as we were here." He explained. "But you running around with Jack is making it hard for me to keep that promise. I don't trust him any farther than I can throw him." Ralph sighed and threw himself down onto the sand. He buried his face into his hands and let out a low growl of frustration.

I felt the angry fade in me as I remembered his promise from the first day we came to the island. _"Angel, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I want you to know that."_ I sighed and sat down next to him.

"You don't need to protect me from Jack. I don't see why you hate him so much," I said tenderly as I could.

Ralph lifted his head up and stared off into the ocean. "Jack doesn't care about being rescued. All he cares about is hunting and killing. Are you really going to sit here and tell me you feel perfectly safe around someone who thinks killing is more important than rescue?"

Ralph did make a good point. Sure Jack's obsession with hunting was strange, but it was nothing to worry about. I knew Jack cared for me, and me only.

"I do feel perfectly safe." I told Ralph. "His feelings for me are strong. That's not going to change."

Ralph shook his head. "That's where your wrong. Once he begins killing, he'll become addicted to it. He won't have time for you anymore because killing will become more important. I, however, would care for you as long as I lived." Ralph began to look sad. "I would put your priorities before mine and I would never kill anything. I'd make sure you were always protected and I wouldn't let you be exposed to savages." Ralph eyed my fading war paint with disgust. "But that's just me." He then stood up and fixed his green eyes to the fire in the distance. "Now let's go before the savages destroy what little of the pig is left."

He offered me his hand, but I refused it. I stood up on my own and began walking to the feast, leaving Ralph behind me. Ralph watched me go with hurt eyes, but continued after me. We walked in silence until we reached the feast. Everyone sat on logs in a circle around the fire, greedily eating the cooked pig. I took a seat next to Jack and began eating as well. Ralph sat as far away as possible next to Simon and began talking with him. I looked over at them wondering what it would have been like if I had of chosen Ralph. My thoughts were dismissed when I felt Jack's lips brush against my lips.

"What did Ralph want?" He asked.

I gazed into his icy blue eyes. "Nothing important." I said. I took another bit of my meat and Jack kept on questioning.

"You guys were down there for awhile. He didn't try to pull anything did he?" Jack asked jealously.

I chewed my meat and shook my head. "No. You know I wouldn't allow that to happen." I planted a quick, soft kiss on his lips.

Jack smiled. "Good because if he did, I'd have to beat him down for it." His facial expression suddenly darkened at the thought.

I stopped eating and looked at him. I could tell easily that he was the jealous type. Nevertheless, I tried to ignore his pointless questions and went back to eating. The whole group was silent the whole feast. We were all too busy stuffing our faces to fratinize. When we finished eating, we put out the fire and headed back to the huts. Jack grabbed my hand and led the way back. We crawled inside our hut and I took the regular position of snuggling up to his side. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a goodnight kiss. I couldn't fall asleep though. I found myself listening to the crashing of the powerful ocean waves and the chirping of the insects. I raised my head up to see if Jack was still awake. Luckily, he was.

"Jack." I whispered. "I can't sleep." I looked at him with tired eyes.

He looked at me lovingly and began to sing me a lullaby.

"You are so beautiful to me. You are so beautiful to me. Can't you see you're everything I hoped for, you're everything I need. You are so beautiful to me. Such joy and happiness you bring. Such joy and happiness you bring. Like a dream, a guiding light that shines in the night. Heavens gift to me, you are so beautiful to me"

I felt my eyes close as I went into a peacful slumber. Jack's singing was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. I fell asleep cuddled up to his side with a smile on my face. Even though we had all laughed about it in the beginning, I was now grateful that Jack could sing C sharp.


	8. Chapter 8

_I've found that I like this living in danger_

_Living on edge, it makes us feel as one_

_Who cares what's right or wrong, it's reality_

_Killing so we survive, wherever we may roam, wherever we may hide_

_Gotta get away_

* * *

As soon as the sunlight woke me up, I instantly knew something was wrong. I shot up from the ground and looked around. As usual, I was the last one up and Jack was already gone. I crawled on my hands and knees to the opening of the hut and peeked out. Outside I saw Ralph, Simon, Piggy, Samneric, and some littluns on one side, and Jack and everyone else on the other. They looked to be having an argument. I strained my ears to listen to what they were saying.

"We need meat!" I heard Jack yell, his face red from the combination of anger and sunburn. The others on his side nodded with agreement. Ralph on the other hand didn't agree.

"No, we need to keep the fire going! Without it, we'll never get rescued," Ralph shot back. The two boys glared at each other with pure hatred. All the other boys stayed silent throughout the fight. After a lengthened silence, Jack was the first to speak.

"I'm not going to be a part of Ralph's lot anymore." Jack looked around the group. "I'm going off by myself. I'll hunt and catch my own pigs. Anyone who wants to hunt when I do can come too."

I pulled my head back into the hut and sat with my legs pulled up to my chest. I didn't want the groups to be separated. However, maybe it would be best to get away from Ralph. I didn't need any feelings for him at the moment and I knew that deep down inside, I still did; I just refused to admit it to myself.

"Angel?"

I jumped at the sound of a voice so close to me. I looked up to the entrance of the hut and saw Jack.

"Yes?" I asked, wondering what he wanted.

"Come out here."

Saying nothing in response, I rose to my feet and met him outside the hut. My eyes met several more as I realized the group was still there from the argument. Jack led me to the middle of the group where Ralph was standing. I followed, not daring to say a word. As I approached Ralph, my eyes rose up to meet his. He had a solemn expression upon his face as he looked back. He bit his lip and began to speak.

"Angel, our groups have decided to split up. Jack's tribe will hunt, while mine will continue to build a signal fire so we can get off this island." Ralph paused and took a deep breath. "We would like to know which tribe you will be joining."

I stared from Ralph to Jack blankly as I pondered over the options. I should probably join my boyfriend's tribe and hunt for some meat. However, I did want to be rescued, so building a fire would be a good option too.

Ralph looked at me and silently pleaded that I would join his group. His green orbs gleamed with hope that I would chose him, even though he showed a little hint of doubt. Jack, on the other hand, looked cool and confident as he smirked at me. I shook my head and looked down.

"Jack," I blurted out. "I chose Jack."

Simon's jaw dropped in outrage. My thoughts snapped back into reality._ Did I really just choose Jack against my own brother?_ I felt hot tears stinging up in my eyes as I made eye contact with Simon.

"I'm sorry," I silently mouthed.

Simon met my gaze for a brief moment, then looked away hastily.

_What have I done?_

Jack, smiling triumphantly, took my hand and led me away from the others. I glanced over my should and saw too many angry faces glaring back at me. I looked to the littuns and saw their hurt faces. Me, their "island mommy," was leaving them. I hung my head and continued walking, ashamed of what I had done.

When we finally reached our destination, I looked up to find we were at what Jack called "Castle Rock." He smiled proudly.

"My new headquarters."

I nodded half hearted and sighed. Jack turned to me.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

I pushed my hair back and stared up at it. Castle Rock was intimidating to me. I gulped as Jack led me and the others to the top. We then proceeded to use clay to repaint ourselves for the hunt later. If we caught a pig, we could have another feast! My stomach then rumbled at the thought of meat. It was certainly better than eating fruit. Maybe I did make the right choice by joining Jack's tribe. I smiled and began rubbing the red, black, and white clay onto my skin.

After careful preparation, we grabbed our newly sharpened sticks and headed off to the forest in a single file line. Jack led the way into the forest with me behind him. Almost at once, Jack found dung and scattered roots that told us a pig was near. Jack signaled us to be quiet as we continued forward. A few minutes deeper into the jungle, we saw two plump pigs laying in the shade under the trees. Jack inched forward, raised his arm, and pointed his spear to one of the pigs.

"Now!" He yelled.

He threw his spear and it barely missed them. The pigs started up and began running the opposite direction. One by one the hunters began throwing the spears at the pigs, barely missing each time. We desperately chased after the pigs not wanting to give up the hunt. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I ran after them. _This was exciting!_ With a sudden burst of energy, I broke forward from the rest of the hunters, aimed, and threw my spear. It flew through the air and hit the pig, causing it to slump to the ground. Realizing what I had done, I slowed down.

"I did it." I murmered out loud to myself. "I actually did it!" My face broke out into a happy smile of achievement. Jack and Roger rushed forward and began stabbing their sticks into the pig to finish it off. They decapitated the sow and Roger began to sharpen a stick at both ends.

"The head will be a gift for the beast." Jack declared to us. He then trotted over to me.

"Nice kill." he smiled, obviously pleased with me. "Now we can celebrate a feast tonight!"

I shakily grinned, still caught up in the moment of the kill. I wasn't freaking out over the blood for once.

"Yeah. I can't wait." I replied. My stomach growled again.

Jack laughed. "It sure sounds like you can't!"

I smiled sheepishly. I hated my uncontrollable stomach. I shook away my thoughts and looked over my shoulder at the boys. They were putting the pig's head up onto the sharpened stick. With the body, they had different plans. I saw Roger holding the stick and he began to shove it into the pig.

"Oh!" I cried in disgust. My face twisted up in horror as I shielded my eyes. Jack laughed and went to assist Roger.

I continued to cover my eyes with no intention to see what was going on. After a few minutes, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Roger.

"You can look now," he said darkly, shaking his head.

I slowly brought my hands down. The rest of the choir was already starting out of the jungle. I looked back at Roger.

"Uhh. Thanks." I said with a weak tone.

Roger shook his head and began to follow the hunters.

"Wimp," he muttered under his breath.

I followed Roger out of the jungle with new thoughts on hunting. It wasn't so bad. I just didn't like seeing what they did with the pig afterwards! I shuddered at the horrific, recent memory and continued back up to Castle Rock, ready to prepare for a feast.

Later, Jack, Roger, Robert, Maurice, and I walked down to where Ralph and the others were, still wearing our war paint. Robert and Maurice raced to their fire, grabbed the half-burnt branches, and ran away along the beach. Jack, Roger, and I stood still. I watched Ralph quietly. He had a surprised reaction upon his face. After a long moment of silence, Ralph was first to speak.

Well?" He asked hotly.

Jack began to yell.

"My tribe and I are living along the beach by a flat rock. If you want to join, come and see us."

He paused and looked over at me.

"Angel caught and killed a pig while hunting, so we shall have a feast tonight. You can come and eat with us if you want."

And with that, he turned on his heel and began to trot away. I stole a glance at Ralph who was shaking his head in disapproval with me. I shrugged as Roger and I began to obediently follow Jack back to our headquarters. I cast one last glance at my brother. Simon looked at me as if he didn't know me anymore. A sad look was spread across his pale skin as he watched me walk away. I fixed my glance forwards as my hand slipped into Jack's. The three of us began to make our way back to Castle Rock with hope that Robert and Maurice were fixing a fire to cook our newly killed meat.

Night time came and the pig was finally done roasting. We sat around the fire eating, talking, and even dancing. Jack and I sat together greedily eating our long awaited meat. We were so caught up with our food that we almost didn't notice Ralph and Piggy approach our lot. _Where was my brother?_ As they approached, one by one our tribe fell silent. All eyes fell upon Ralph and Piggy as they stood at the edge of the platform. Jack stood up and raised his spear.

"Take them some meat," he ordered.

Two members of our tribe gave them each a chunk of meat, which they immediately began eating. Jack rose from his log throne and sauntered over towards Ralph.

"Who's going to join my tribe?" He asked.

"I'm chief." Ralph argued.

Jack glared at him and returned to his spot next to me. He put his arm around me and gloated at Ralph. Ralph stared back enviously, but attempted to remain calm. I yawned and leaned my head on Jack's shoulder._ Man, was I tired!_ I watched everyone around me as I tried to fight off sleep. Another yawn escaped my mouth.

"Jack?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm gonna have to retire early for the night."

Jack looked disappointed, but smiled anyways.

"Alright," he said. "At least you got to eat."

I nodded and rubbed my eyes. I couldn't wait to lay down and doze off.

Jack glanced at Ralph to make sure he was watching, then leaned over and wrapped his arms low around my waist, giving me a rough good night kiss. Ralph's face turned red and he looked down to start fiddling with the remaining bones of his meat. I pulled apart from Jack and started off towards the new hut I had managed to build. It was nothing like Ralph's, but it was at least standing. I crawled inside and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

As I continued to sleep, I felt someone forcefully shaking me awake.

"What the?" I mumbled sleepily. "What's going on?"

As my vision slowly refocused, I found Ralph standing over me, a horror stricken look upon his face.

"Angel, it's your brother Simon. It appears there's been a terrible accident."


	9. Chapter 9

_Now dance, fucker, dance_  
_Man, he never had a chance_  
_And no one even knew it was really only you_

* * *

Ralph took a deep breath and continued.

"Simon was accidently beaten to death during a tribal ritual. I'm so sorry." Ralph's eyes shined with sorrow and grief.

I gaped at Ralph in disbelief._ No. No it couldn't happen. I didn't even get to say goodbye!_ The last I got to see of my brother was the look of sadness and disgust on his face. My stomach felt sick as I realized that I would never get to see him again. Tears began slowly rolling down my cheeks as my mind began to shoot out the worst thoughts possible.

_You'll never see your brother again. This wouldn't have happened if you'd have chosen Ralph._  
_He's gone and there's nothing you can do about it. You'll never be able to make up with him._

My uncontrollable thoughts were overwhelming me, like angry, spiteful voices that wouldn't leave me alone. The tears became heavy sobs and I buried my face into the ground. The only other person around was Ralph who watched me with a genuine sympathy. He lifted me off the ground and pulled me into his lap, petting my head. His attempts to sooth me weren't working. It only made things worse.

_"Where was Jack?" _I thought._ "I really could use him at a time like this." _I blinked and focused half my attention on Ralph.

"R-Ralph?"

"Yes?"

"Wh-where is J-Jack?" I managed to choke out through sobs.

Ralph bit his lip and lowered his eyes.

"He's with his tribe," he said. "Jack and his tribe were the ones who... who.."

Ralph paused. I urged him on with pleading eyes.

"Who what?" I demanded. Unfortunately, I already knew the sickening answer.

"Who killed your brother," he finished with a choked voice. "We were all a part of the tribal dance, but the savages got out of control. And then-"

Ralph stopped speaking and wrapped his arms around me, embracing me in a long, tight hug. I buried my face into Ralph's shoulder. _Jack! How could he do such a thing?_ I sighed and realized Ralph was right from the beginning. The tribe and I _were_ becoming savages; blood thirsty, animal-like savages.

Ralph shifted and rose to his feet.

"I think it'd be best for you if you came over to my side of the island. Or at least just for the night," he stated, rubbing his eyes.

I nodded, still sobbing, and tried to get to my feet. I found it was nearly impossible for me to stand. My whole body was numb from shock and my eyes were swollen and blurred from sobbing. I fell back to the ground without any other attempts to get back up. Ralph sighed and bent over to pick me up. He carried me bridal style, as if I weighed nothing, back to his part of the island and away from all those murderous savages. _T__his island was doing wonders for his muscles. _Staring blankly ahead as Ralph carried me through the darkness, I felt my entire body and soul go completely numb. I felt as though a part of me had died along with my beloved brother. Tears steadily flowed down my dirty, painted face as we approached Ralph's territory.

Ralph carried me to his hut and gently put me down as though I was the most fragile thing in the world. And at the moment, I pretty much was. I absently put my head on Ralph's shoulder and he rested his chin on the top of my head, his arms around me. We stayed in this position for a great amount of time, both mourning the loss of Simon. At this point, I didn't care that I was being held by Ralph and not Jack. My feelings for Jack were jumbled, bitter, and unforgiving. It felt as though someone had driven a frozen, icy spear through my heart, and didn't bother removing it. I knew that I could never forgive him and his tribe for killing my brother. I would have to confront Jack about it, but I dreaded it. I knew, even though he deserved it, Jack wouldn't take too kindly to my leaving him. My face went white with all the possibilities of what could happen. Somewhere along the process of my thoughts, I ended up drifting off into a nightmare plagued sleep.

_Simon was hurrying out of the jungle towards the dancing tribe._

_"Guys!" He yelled. "There's a dead parachute man up on the-"_

_He was cut off by the spears jabbing into his skin._

_"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"_

_Simon fell to his knees and covered his arms over his face._

_"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"_

_The crowd bit, tore, and struck Simon as he struggled in the middle of the crowd. The wind blew the falling rain sideways as the tribe continued to beat "the beast" They continued to chant._

_"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"_

I woke up in a panic, flailing and screaming Simon's name. Ralph jolted awake, attentively tending to me.

"Nightmares?" He asked with sadness in his eyes. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of my face and behind my ear.

I nodded my head, my stomach sickly lurching with guilt. I was such a stupid girl. I should have listened to Simon and Ralph all this time. If I hadn't been so stupid and reckless, Simon would be sleeping in a hut across from mine, alive and peaceful. Guilt slowly ate me alive, and I could feel my sanity slipping further and further away from my reach.

"Yes. I saw Simon getting beat by the tribe."

I couldn't find myself to cry anymore. I think I had cried so much since I've been on this island, that I used all my tears up. There was nothing left but a hollow, numb shell of a girl who used to be innocent and carefree. Ralph pulled me into a quick, comforting hug. I forced a smile at him, silently thanking him. I then decided to lay back down and attempt to get some sleep. I looked sleepily back over at Ralph who was now resting by my side. We shared another brief, yet painful smile.

"Good night, Ralph."

"Good night, Angel."

But I knew in my heart the night would be anything but.

* * *

For once, I was the first one to wake up. I carefully and quietly crept out of the hut and walked along the beach to the pond of water that was nearby. I cupped my hands, brought the water to my lips, and greedily drank it. I wiped the remaining drops of water from my mouth and licked my lips. _Oh how the water tasted so good!_ I went to reach for another handful of water when I noticed my reflection. I was still wearing the war paint from yesterday. I stared into the water in astonishment as an unrecognizable savage stared back at me from the reflection. This isn't who I was! I was **not** a savage! I was no longer some blood-thirsty maniac who ran around like an animal trying to kill whatever was in sight. I slapped the water and watched it ripple as it blurred my reflection to where I could no longer see it. I turned away from it disgusted and began to make my way to the bathing area so I could wash this awful paint off.

After I finished scrubbing it all off, I stared at my reflection again. A clean young woman, instead of a savage, stared back at me this time.

"Much better." I muttered out loud to myself.

I trotted back to the huts and arrived just as Ralph was waking up.

"Good morning Angel! You look much better now," he said noticing the absence of the paint. He smiled warmly and pushed his growing hair out of his face.

I blushed and forced a half smile to my face.

"Thanks."

Ralph came out of the hut and stood opposite of me.

"Are you confronting Jack today?" He asked.

I pushed my wet hair behind my ear and bit my lip.

"I have to. As much as I dread it, it has to be done."

Ralph nodded. "I'm coming with you. So is Piggy and Samneric. There's no way we'd let you go without backup."

Piggy heard his name and appeared in front of us.

"They stole my specs! I have to go get them back!" He wailed.

My brow furrowed. I didn't remember the tribe ever stealing Piggy's specs.

"They probably went out and did it while I was asleep." I murmered spitefully.

"They came in the middle of the night and pinched 'em. We didn't even see it coming!" Ralph yelled angrily. "Bloody savages."

My eyes lowered. I was ashamed to have been a part of that tribe. To have killed that innocent pig. To have lost my brother. I took a deep breath in.

"_It's okay_," I thought to myself. "_I'll confront Jack, break it off with him, and switch tribes. Then we can get Piggy's specs back, light a signal fire, and we'll all be rescued." _Nothing could go wrong with that plan.

Ralph stood by my side as we exchanged nervous looks. I licked my dry lips and nodded my head, signaling to go. We drearily headed off to the intimidating Castle Rock. The place I had once belonged, occupied by what I now recognized as a pack of bloodthirsty killers. Ralph shot me a nervous glance, knowing damn well that things were about to get ugly. Fear consumed me, but I kept a straight, strong face. I knew what I had to do.

It was time to go face Jack.


	10. Chapter 10

_Clever alibis_  
_Lord of the Flies_  
_Hit 'em right between the eyes_  
_Hit 'em right between the eyes_  
_When you walk away, nothing more to say_  
_See the lightning in your eyes_  
_See 'em running for their lives_

* * *

My stomach twisted and turned as we marched towards Castle Rock, all armed with spears. I had no idea what was going to happen. I wiped my sweaty palms on my tattered, grey tank top and nervously gulped. Jack was capable of so many things. Anything could happen.

We reached Castle Rock sooner than I hoped and continued forwards. I stared up at the familiar cliffs and searched for my former tribe mates.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Ralph and I looked up and saw Roger's dark face at the top.

"You can see who we are! Now where is Jack?" Ralph demanded.

Some of the savages heard the commotion and started to one by one appear by us. They stared down at us intimidatingly from behind paint and dirt.

"He's out hunting," one of them said.

"I've come for Piggy's specs. And Angel has some matters of her own." Ralph replied as calmly as possible.

The savages turned their heads toward me as if they hadn't noticed me before. They each glared at me with squinting, evil eyes.

"Traitor!" The savages shouted and hissed. One of them threw a small rock at me that hit me square in the stomach.

I winced and stared back at a loss for words. I opened my mouth, but closed it afraid to say anything. Instead, I ran my hand through my dirty, wavy hair and began chewing my nails again. _Why did I have such bad habits?_

"What are you guys doing here?" A smooth, silky voice rang out from behind us.

Ralph, Piggy, the twins, and I turned around recognizing the voice instantly. Jack, along with Maurice and Bill, were advancing from the jungle. I dumbly blinked and stared at Jack, confusion running through my head. I thought once I saw Jack, I'd let him have a piece of my mind. But now that he was actually here, I was at a complete loss for words.

"Well, well, well... Look who went running back to Ralphie." Jack taunted smugly.

I shot him a dirty look and bit my tongue to remain quiet. I didn't want to anger Jack and make him do something dangerous.

"Why would you go to Ralph? He's not a real man like I am." Jack said with a confident smirk. "Why don't you go and put some paint back on? You and I can do some hunting later. Maybe even a little something else too while we're out alone."

He smirked as the savages began laughing in unison.

_What happened to him? Was the island really affecting him this much? He wasn't like this before. Human nature was a scary thing._

This time, I couldn't keep quiet.

"Because Ralph was there for me when you and your bloody tribe **_killed_** my brother!" I angrily spat. I was sure to put emphasis on the word _killed_ for dramatic effect. It didn't work.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Not my fault he was wandering around the jungle in the middle of the night." He snorted.

Jack's words triggered a memory of my brother from earlier.

_"What exactly are you doing in here in the middle of the night?" I asked Simon curiously.  
He stared off into the distance somewhere and took a breath. "I come here every night to think and be alone."_

I tore my eyes away from Jack's and fixed them on the ground, fighting back tears. I had to stay strong.

"It's completely your fault." I muttered, looking up at him. I stared into his almost unrecognizable face. It was so covered with paint, dirt, and blood that I couldn't even tell he was the same handsome, sweet boy I'd first seen on the airplane.

Jack's icy blue eyes flashed with anger. He charged forward and grabbed my arm. I dropped my spear in complete shock. It clattered to the ground somewhere close to me and stayed there ignored.

"Is not! Your strange, weird-ass brother had no right being out in the jungle during the middle of the night like that! Especially during a tribal ritual!" Jack yelled.

His grip on my arm tightened. I cried out in pain and tried to free myself, but it was no use; Jack was far stronger than I was. Ralph reacted immediately.

"You let go of her this instant!" Ralph yelled raising his spear.

Jack rolled his eyes again.

"And just what are you going to do about it?" He asked with a bored tone in his silky voice. I continued to hopelessly struggle in his grip.

Ralph narrowed his eyes and charged Jack. Jack dropped my wrist and charged Ralph too, defending himself. I scattered away on release and ran over to pick up my spear. Maurice kicked it out of the way and held up his own spear, as if challenging me to retrieve mine. I rushed over to Samneric and stood in between them as we held onto each other in terror, watching Ralph and Jack fight. They met with a jolt and Jack swung and hit Ralph in the ear. Ralph reacted by swinging a fist into Jack's stomach, causing him to grunt. A few more fists were thrown before they pulled apart and faced each other, both panting and glaring. The savages were shrilly cheering behind them, urging them to resume fighting.

Piggy interrupting by crying out.

"Let me speak!"

As Piggy ran out from the side, the savages' cheering changed into booing. Piggy tried to shout over it.

"I got the conch!"

He held it in the air as proof.

"See? I got it! Now let me speak."

He squinted at everyone and tried to see their reactions. The tribe fell silent, curious to hear what he had to say. Roger, from up above, threw a few stones while one hand still rested on a lever that was wedged underneath a gigantic boulder.

Piggy flinched at the stones and continued on.

"You're all acting like kids! Having rules is better than hunting and killing!"

The savages began booing again. Samneric and I stepped forward to side with Piggy. Before we could get anywhere, we were cut off by Jack.

"Get back!" Jack yelled.

We all looked at each other and refused to move. Jack glanced at the tribe behind him.

"Grab them!"

We immediately scattered in different directions. The painted group moved round Samneric as I sprinted towards Ralph and ran into his arms, shaking with absolute terror. I turned to see if they had gotten away too. Unfortunately, they hadn't been as lucky as me. I watched with sorrow as the painted savages formed a circle around them and tied them up. I remained still as Ralph's arms tightened around me for security. Jack looked at us as if he was expecting a rescue attempt, but Ralph and I remained rooted to the ground, too afraid to make a move. Piggy, however, did not intend on staying silent. He stepped forward and angrily squinted at Jack and the tribe.

"Stop acting childish! It is better to have civilization than to be a painted pack of Indians!" Piggy ranted. He raised the cream coloured shell to emphasize his point.

High overhead, Roger, deciding he'd heard enough from Piggy, leaned all of his weight onto the lever. Ralph and I heard the rock before it we saw it.

"Piggy! Watch out!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

It was no use. The great rock came rolling off the top of the cliff and hit a squinting Piggy right between the eyes. The conch exploded into pieces and scattered everywhere. Piggy traveled through the air with the rock then landed forty feet on his back across the rock in the sea. His head busted open and red mush oozed out. His arms and legs were twitching in the same way as the pig I had so carelessly slaughtered. Ralph and I stood, mouth open, and stared in a state of shock and horror. I looked up at Roger and saw him chuckling darkly, clearly enjoying his kill with a sick, sadistic enthusiasm. I shed a single tear as I watched Piggy's mangled body get sucked into the sea, never to be seen again. Within moments, it was gone from sight. No one, not the tribe, nor Ralph, nor me, dared to make a sound. The tenderness of the moment was far too intense for noise. After what seemed like a painful eternity, Jack bounded into sight.

"See?" He yelled wildly, his icy eyes flashing madly. "That's what you get! No more tribe for you!"

Jack hurled his spear at Ralph and caught the flesh in his ribs. Ralph winced in pain and silently cursed under his breath. He quickly grabbed my hand and led me away. We both tore away from the murderous group and began desperately running for safety. At this point, I didn't believe there was a single safe place left on this island. It was one cruel, unforgiving hell. Ralph and I kept running for our side of the island as the wind smacked us in the face harshly. I glanced over my shoulder to see if Jack or the tribe were following. Luckily for us, they weren't. We reached our destination quickly and panted for breath. I desperately sucked in dry air and tried to catch my ragged breath. To my left, Ralph was doing the exact same thing. Our eyes met with the same emotion gleaming in them: terror.

"Are... you... okay?" I managed to gasp out, still panting from exhaustion.

Ralph looked down at his chest. The wounds from Jack were still fresh. His flesh was bruised over his right ribs with a swollen, bleeding cut where the spear had hit him. Noticing his blood, I grabbed a handful of my tank top in my hand and ripped half of it off at the end. I took the tattered fabric and began dabbing at Ralph's open wounds, attempting to stop the blood flow. He winced when I made contact, but relaxed shortly after. I continued to clean the blood off as Ralph crookedly smiled at me. His face shined with gratefulness. My strip of fabric quickly absorbed the blood and forced me to rip off another chunk of my shirt. I ripped from the bottom again and went straight back to wiping. By now, the tank top was now a half shirt. I blushed in embarrassment and tried to quickly shake it off. It did feel much better with this extreme heat though. I gently removed the blood from Ralph's chest and bit my lip. Ralph's chest was extremely toned and felt incredibly muscular beneath my small hands. I tried to focus on the wounds, but my eyes kept wandering. I bit into my lip so hard that I drew blood.

"Oww!" I cried out in pain. My bottom lip was softly oozing out a small amount crimson blood.

Ralph jumped at the suddenness of my voice. "What happened?"

I tried licking away the blood before he noticed, but it kept coming back.

"I accidentally bit down too hard on my lip," I admitted sheepishly.

Ralph cooly reached down to my shirt and pulled off a small piece.

"Now it's my turn to help you." He said coolly.

He raised the grey fabric to my lips and began dabbing at them like I had with him. I shivered at the contact on my lips. Ralph calmly ran the fabric across them, not missing a single drop of blood. Our eyes met and we silently stared at each other. My stomach began knotting up with a sudden nervousness. I felt my throat go dry and my face go pale. I lowered my eyes to the ground sheepishly, but Ralph gently raised my chin up to meet his gaze. I quickly licked my lips and realized the blood has stopped flowing. With a slight relief, I softly sighed. Ralph leaned in and our lips met ever so softly. My arms instantly wrapped around his neck, and his around my waist, as we continued to gently kiss. I smiled into his lips and just for that moment, I finally felt safe. I savoured the feeling of saftey knowing that it wouldn't last much longer.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This chapter contains graphic sex and is rated M. If you do not wish to read anything of the sort, please feel free to skip to the next chapter. If not, enjoy... ;) **

* * *

_Though the breezes through trees  
Move so pretty you're all I see  
As the world keeps spinning 'round  
You hold me right here, right now_

_I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend_

* * *

I was laying on the ground in the middle of the night lost in my thoughts. I had a sick feeling Jack was scheming something terrible for paybacks. I lazily rolled over on my other side and looked at Ralph. He was fast asleep with a vague smile upon his handsome face. I swifted closer to him as quietly as I could and sighed. This would probably be the last peaceful night I'd get before Jack took action. Piggy and Simon were dead, and Samneric were kidnapped. I knew that Ralph and I were next, but had no idea what was going to happen. _Kidnapping? Beatings? Death?_ I shuddered at my thoughts and tried to push them out of my head. My thoughts always got the best of me.

I jumped when I heard Ralph moan in his sleep. He turned in his sleep and slung his arm around me. I leaned into him, feeling the warm contours of his bare chest against me. I was wide awake and had no intention of going to sleep anytime soon. Then, ever so gently, I placed a light kiss on his lips. I stared at him seeing if I could get a response out of him. No such luck. I bent my head and repeated the action. This time, his lips moved against mine softly. _Yes!_ Hopefully he would awake. I propped myself up on one arm and gently stroked his blond hair. His sleepy eyes began to slowly open.

"Angel?" He asked vaguely.

I smirked and kept playing with his hair. "Yes?"

Ralph looked at me through half-lidded eyes. "What are you doing?"

I flushed and shrugged my shoulders. "Keeping myself entertained. I can't sleep."

Ralph, more awake now, nodded accepptingly.

"What do you think Jack plans on doing?" he asked with slight alert. "You know he's not going to just let us go after what just happened."

I bit my lip and nodded. It was true. There had to be something in store for us. And whatever it was, we knew it wouldn't be good. Maybe fatal, even. I shivered.

"I dunno," I answered dully. I knew our demise was near. We were greatly outnumbered. I knew I wouldn't stand a chance. Physically, I was weak.

Ralph sighed. He had a thoughtful expression on his face. He appeared to be in his own little world. I absently resumed chewing on my bottom lip, clueless as to why I did that. Ralph suddenly spoke.

"We could always enjoy our last peaceful night together," he said shyly.

I started at him confused._ What was that supposed to mean?_ Before I could even think it over, he leaned me back, cradling my head so it wouldn't hit the ground, and began kissing me. Surprised, I kissed him back. _Where did this come from?_ I felt the tip of Ralph's tongue pushing against my lips. I parted them and we began exploring each other's mouths, hearts beating faster and faster. Nothing else around us seemed to even exist. I sighed into his mouth as our tongues twisted together. I silently moaned as I felt Ralph's hands sliding up underneath my tank top. They were so warm against my cool skin. He then pulled his lips away to look down at me.

"Are you okay with this?" He asked nervously.

My golden eyes rose up to meet his green ones. "Yes," I managed to respond. My tone was just as nervous as his.

Ralph nodded. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

I knew that I wanted this more than anything, even if I was incredibly nervous and clueless.

"I want to!" I said a little too quickly.

Ralph laughed and smiled at me. "Me too."

I reached up and met his lips again. His hands went back to what was left of my shirt and he shakily began to lift it up. I put my hands on top of his and helped him remove it. He silently thanked me and began to explore my exposed body. Ralph hovered over me as his warm hands ran across my smooth, tanned skin, still kissing me. His hands eventually began to make their way to my back to unclasp my bra. As he fumbled with the hooks, I pressed my pelvis into him, making him moan into my mouth. A satisfied smile began to creep upon my lips. We both grinded against each other, craving more.

He finally succeeded with my bra hooks and began placing a soft trail of kisses along my chest. I softly moaned and when he was finished, we removed each other's shorts and resumed kissing.

My thoughts began to wander. _I was really doing this with Ralph! Not Jack, the one who killed my brother, but Ralph. The one who tried to protect me from the start. The one who was always there for me when I needed him. The one I had truly loved from the start. The one who tried to prevent me from turning to savagery. _A pang of guilt suddenly hit me._ Maybe if I would have listened to him from the start, we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe Simon would even still be alive. At least I realized my mistakes and chose right this time, though I could never undo the past. _

I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts by Ralph's fingers gently slipping under the elastic of my panties. I squirmed, then scolded myself inside my head for my lack of self control. Ralph's breathing became uneven as his hands lingered over me.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" He whispered. I could tell he was just as nervous as I was.

"Yes," I answered. "Just b-be careful, please."

Ralph warmly smiled at me. "Wasn't planning on being anything else."

We slid each other's underwear off carefully and briefly exchanged nervous looks. Ralph positioned himself over me and I reached up to grasp his shoulders. We both groaned as our bare skin touched. I parted my legs, allowing Ralph to settle between them. My hands left their place on his shoulders and lowered so I could grip his back. Ralph stared down at me lovingly.

"Angel?"

"Yeah?"

He paused. "I- I love you."

My insides flared._ He loved me!_ I rose up and kissed him softly. As I pulled back, I looked into his eyes. "I love you too, Ralph." And I knew, deep down, even though I had prevented myself previously from admitting it, that I really did.

Smiling, he stroked my face gently.

"Are you ready?" He asked, lust dripping from his voice.

All I could do was meekly nod, which was a dumb thing to do considering it was dark outside.

"Ye-yes," I managed to choke out. _God I was so nervous! _Butterflies swarmed the insides of my stomach as I looked up at Ralph.

"Don't be nervous," he reassured me. "No matter what happens, I'll always love you."

"And I'll always love you." I said back just as matter-of-factly.

Ralph reached down to align himself just right then, slowly and carefully, pushed himself inside of me. I immediately tensed up and gasped. As he slowly pushed in deeper, the feeling becoming more and more uncomfortable and painfully tight. Ralph began to withdraw a little, allowing me to breathe easier. Just as soon as he had pulled out, however, he made one powerful thrust back into me. I cried out against the sharp pain from his action. Ralph's eyes immdiately widened.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

The pain was slowly fading from my body. "I'm alright," I assured him with a choked voice. "Keep going."

Ralph responded by moving as gently as he could within me, his hands returning to their place at my hips. Ralph began thrusting in and out, very slowly at first, and then steadily quickening. With each movement, he would pull himself further out of me and then thrust back into me with great force. The pain was soon replaced by sheer pleasure.

"Ohhhh Ralph." I moaned, losing all lack of self control. At this point, I didn't care how I sounded.

Ralph's breathing was coming out unevenly as he continued trusting. My moans were becoming louder and louder with each trust. I silently hoped they weren't loud enough to carry over to the other side of the island. Ralph's eyes were glued to me as he kept moving in and out, his breathing coming in as short, quick gasps. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back in pleasure.

"Harder." I suddenly blurted.

Ralph, taken back by my sudden command, began trusting in much harder and deeper than before. I cried out and felt a burning sensation building in the pit of my stomach.

"Angel." Ralph moaned, sweat forming on his brow. "I'm gonna come."

I nodded and waiting for what was coming. One more hard trust and we both released, gasping for air. I let out one more long moan as he reached down and kissed me.

"I love you." Ralph said dreamily.

I looked back up at him, my face flushed and sweaty. "I love you too."

He slowly pulled out and collapsed next to me, taking me into his arms. After one more kiss, I rested my head on his chest and felt his arms tighten around me. I couldn't stop smiling as my tired eyes began to close. I was in love. As I slept in Ralph's arms that night, something else incredibe happened; For the first time in seven years, I didn't have a nightmare.


	12. Chapter 12

_In this farewell There's no blood There's no alibi  
'Cause I've drawn regret  
From the truth  
Of a thousand lies  
So let mercy come  
And wash away  
What I've done  
I'll face myself  
To cross out what i've become  
Erase myself  
And let go of what i've done_

* * *

_Sore._ That was the first thought that came to mind as soon as Ralph worriedly, but gently, woke me up. It was a good sore, but nevertheless, painful. My eyes opened to Ralph still shaking me awake.  
"Come on," he said. 'We've got to get a move on if we want to see what Jack is up to."

More alert at hearing his name, I shook my head vigorously and all hints of sleepiness faded. I quickly rose to my feet and slipped my hand into Ralph's. Together, we started to creep up to Castle Rock. It was very early in the morning, still somewhat dark outside, so we hoped everyone, except Samneric, would still be asleep. Ralph had a hunch that Samneric would be standing guard. Luckily for us, they were still loyal to Ralph and we were traveling up to Castle Rock to see if we could get any information from them.

Ralph and I walked hand in hand to Castle Rock. When we approached it, we walked carefully and tried our best to keep our footing. When we reached the entrance, Ralph picked up a small pebble and threw it towards the escarpment. It bounced off the rock with a small noise and we both quickly ducked.

"Who's there?" We heard. I immediately recognized it as Sam's voice. A wave of relief washed over me with the realization that the twins were the ones standing guard. Ralph slowly rose.

"Guys! It's me!" He said barely above a whisper.

"Ralph?" Eric asked quietly.

"Yes! Is it clear up there?" Ralph asked.

Sam looked over both his shoulders scanning the area.

"Yep. Everyone else is still asleep. They don't usually get up this early."

Ralph told me to stay where I was as he carefully made his way over the jagged rocks. I remained behind hidden.

"How have you guys been?" Ralph grinned.

"Keeping alive I suppose." Sam said shrugging.

Eric's brow furrowed. "How did you know that we would be on guard duty?"

Ralph bit his lip thoughtfully. "Lucky guess. So is Jack planning anything? I know he can't be too happy with us right now."

Samneric glanced at each other nervously. "Is Angel with you?"

Ralph looked down to where I was hidden. "Yes. She's down there," he said nodding his head in my direction.

Sam looked upset. "Jack plans on taking her back." He then paused and sighed. "And he wants to kill you."

"He told Roger to sharpen a stick at both ends." Eric added.

Ralph's eyes widened. "Take Angel? What do you mean?"

Eric looked around to make sure the perimeter was still clear. "If you don't willingly give up Angel to Jack, he'll kill you. If you do, Jack won't organize a manhunt."

"Manhunt?" Ralph echoed. "So if I refuse, he's going to hunt me down, take her, and kill me?"

Sam sniffed. "Sadly, that's correct."

Eric nodded gravely in agreement.

Ralph shivered. "And what happens if I give her up?"

Sam's gaze shifted down towards the ground as he spoke. "With Jack and Roger-"

"Anything could happen," Eric finished.

"Nothing good I assume."

"I don't even want to know what they're planning."

Ralph nodded, taking it all in. "I want you guys to find out as much as you can. Okay?"

"Alright," the twins said in unison.

Ralph looked behind him. "I better go now. Thanks guys. Take care."

He quickly walked past the rocks as he made his way to where I was patiently waiting for his return.

"Be careful," Samneric called after Ralph as he descended away.

Ralph approached my hiding spot. I was full of panicked questions.

"Are you okay? What's Jack up to? How are the twins? Are we being hunted?"

Ralph flinched at my eager voice.

"Shh. Let's get away first before we get caught."

Ever so quietly, we ran off back to our faithful side of the island.

"Well?" I demanded, wanting my questions to be answered.

Ralph took a long sigh and began.

"Samneric are hanging in there. They're alright I suppose. As for us.. well.. w-we have a problem."

I bit my lip hard. This couldn't be good.

Ralph continued. "Jack plans on organizing a manhunt for us. He's after you. If I don't willingly give you up to him, then I die. If I do, you stay with Jack. I don't know what will happen to me."

I looked at him with concern. "So I'm going to live with Jack. Great."

Ralph shook his head. "No way I'm giving you up. I'd rather die than see him have his way with you."

I tilted my head to the side. "Are you_ crazy?_" I shouted. "I'm not worth it! I'm not going to let you **die!**"

"Yes you are," Ralph said softly. "You're everything to me."

I looked at him in shock. There was no way I was going to let Ralph die. I knew he would be too stubborn to let me go to Jack. In order to save him, I would sneak over to Castle Rock and give myself up to Jack. I'd do anything to keep my love alive.

"I'm not going to let you die." I began chewing on my thumb nail.

Ralph sighed, blatantly frustrated. "I'm going to keep you safe. Don't worry about me."

I switched over to chewing on my lip. I trusted Ralph, but I didn't trust the savages. Sooner or later they would find us and kill Ralph. If I went to rejoin the tribe soon, Ralph wouldn't have to die. It seemed like a good plan to me. I nodded softly to myself. It was settled.

That night, after Ralph was sound asleep, I crept out of the hut and blindly began walking in the direction of Castle Rock. _It's so bloody dark out here!_ I squinted as my eyes began to slowly adjust to the darkness. I had been to Castle Rock so many times that I figured I wouldn't have too hard of a time finding my way there. Sure enough, after awhile of groping around the darkness, I had reached the cliffs of Castle Rock. Warily, I made my way to the entrance and peeked to see who was on guard duty. It was Roger. Not thinking straight, I whispered out towards him.

"Psst. Roger."

Roger abruptly whipped his head towards the direction of my voice.

"Who goes there?" He demanded fiercely. His lips curled up into a snarl.

I gulped. "It's me, Angel. I... uhh... I want to rejoin the tribe. Can I talk to Jack?"

_Oh please say yes. Please say yes, Roger._

Roger glared at me, deciding what to do. After careful pondering, he looked back over his shoulder and called out to another savage.

"Maurice!"

Maurice came trotting out immediately.

"What do you want, Roger?" He grumbled.

"Go fetch Chief. It's important." Roger commanded.

Maurice nodded and returned back into the shadows to find Jack.

Roger turned his gaze back to me.

"You have no idea what's in store for you." He said with madness gleaming in his dark eyes.

I shivered and remained rooted to where I was. There was no backing down now. Within minutes, Maurice returned with Jack at his side. Jack smirked as soon as he saw me standing outside the entrance.

"Well, well, well," Jack started. "What do we have here?"

I gathered up all my courage and spoke.

"I-I want to rejoin the tribe. Under one condition of course." I began.

Jack looked interested. "What condition?"

I took a breath and finished. "You don't harm Ralph."

Jack, Roger, and Maurice all busted out into sinister laughter. I raised a curious eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" I asked, my accent growing heavy with anger.

They gradually stopped laughing.

"Nothing." said Jack smiling. "Okay fine. We keep you, we let Ralph live. Deal."

I nodded my head up and down. "Alright. Deal."

Jack reached out and took my arm, leading me to where I was to sleep. My stomach grew sick when I learned it was right next to him inside a small cave. As everyone else slept, I stayed awake thinking. What if Ralph went looking for me? What if he came here? Surely nothing bad would happen. Jack and I had made a deal. He wasn't going to harm Ralph. If he showed up, the guards would simply send him away. It was for his own good. I had already lost Simon and I wasn't intending on losing Ralph too.

I woke up at the same time as Jack and slowly sat up, pulling my legs to my chest. Jack also sat up.

"I'm not going hunting," I told him dryly. "Once was enough. I don't plan on turning into a nasty savage again."

Jack smirked. "Fine. You can contribute to the tribe with other ways then."

Before I could figure out the meaning of his words Jack, in a flash, pushed me down on my back and climbed on top of me, pinning my wrists down. He roughly pressed his lips to mine and kissed me forcefully. I tried to scream, but Jack's lips prevented me from making a sound. I was completely helpless. I struggled to free my arms so I could slap him, but his grip was too tight. I twisted my head back and forth rapidly to get him off my mouth, but I had no luck. I squeezed my eyes shut. _Please let this be over with._ Jack continued to plant rough kisses on my mouth as his hands began to wander all over my body. I kept on fighting, but his strength was no match for my weak, scrawny self. I limply laid against the cold ground, not moving a muscle. A few moments later, Jack pulled apart and rose to his feet.

"Better than hunting?" he taunted. I glared at him hatefully, not speaking a word.

_What has he become?_

"Believe me, Angel baby," Jack started seductively with a wink. "The best is yet to come." He grabbed his spear and left to go hunt, leaving me alone inside the cave.

I leaned my back against the wall and pulled my legs up to my chest again. I silently sobbed to myself pitifully. _What have I done? What a stupid idea!_ Then I realized that if Ralph was safe, I would keep putting up with this. I believed Ralph could build a signal fire to get us all rescued and we would both be guaranteed safety. I forced a weak smile at that thought and wiped my tears away. I closed my eyes and began to think of Ralph and what our lives would be like after we got rescued from this God awful island. I was quickly pulled out of my fantasies by frantic screams from outside the cave.

I jumped up quickly and scrambled to the entrance. I peered out to see what was going on and what I saw terrified me. Horror and guilt flooded my body as my eyes watched the scene. I shook my head, trying to process what was going on. My whole body went numb with shock, my legs barely able to support me.

"**NO!**" I screamed horrified. I had never felt so sick before in my life. Fat tears began to soak my face._ Oh God. It was all my fault._


	13. Chapter 13

**_I can't escape this hell_**

_So many times i've tried_  
_But i'm still caged inside_  
_Somebody get me through this nightmare_  
_I can't control myself_

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me?_  
_No one will ever change this animal I have become_  
_Help me believe it's not the real me_  
_Somebody help me tame this animal_

* * *

Jack's tribe of dirty savages had Ralph tied up with vines. Ralph's arms and legs were both tied, making it impossible for him to move. All he could do was wriggle around uncomfortably and awkwardly roll. There were several bruises on his body and blood poured from open cuts. His eyes, however, still gleamed with life.

"No one could ever beat the very soul out of those eyes," I muttered under my breath in between sobs.

Ralph rolled over to the other side and faced me. If he wasn't in this horrible of a situation, he probably would have been angry with me for running off. Instead, he looked at me weakly with love evident on his face.

"I love you." Ralph mouthed silently to me.

Tears were steadily rolling down my face. _Why was this happening? Anything but this! First my brother, and now my love?_

"I love you too," I said. It meant to come out louder, but my voice only came out a harsh whisper.

Jack appeared out of no where smirking. I glared at him with hurt in my eyes.

"You promised," I said spat harshly, wiping the tears from my face. "You said you wouldn't hurt him."

Jack's eyes gleamed with triumph.

"I've been known to lie a few times. With Ralph out of the way, I can have you all to myself."

My stomach dropped to the floor. He wouldn't- I wouldn't let him. Blinded by love and hate, I threw myself at Jack with full momentum and knocked him to the floor. Once on top of him, I began throwing hard punches. I heard my fists pounding against his face as I uncontrollably let loose. Jack, stunned at my sudden behaviour, flew straight up and pushed me off, sending me flying off him. I hit the ground with a thud as my body made hard contact with the ground. I moaned in pain as I slowly tried to pull myself up. Roger and Robert pulled me off the ground and shoved me against a tree as hard as they could. I let out a loud moan of pain as I tried to escape from their clutches. No such luck. Roger held me to the tree while Robert looped a vine round and round, securing me by the waist. I struggled forcefully, but couldn't break loose. _Why did this all seem so familiar?_ Ralph still remained on the cold jungle ground, also tied up.

_This was it. It was all over._

Roger, Maurice, and Robert looked at me, silently mocking me with their evil eyes. Roger was just close enough to where I could kick him. My leg shot out and hit him square in his inner thigh. Roger inhaled sharply and grunted in pain. His hand instantly shot out and slapped my face. I cried out and brought my hand to my cheek. _Bastard!_ Hot tears steamed in my eyes. I prayed this would all be over soon. I turned my head to look at Ralph. He was laying with his eyes shut. Jack towered over him, his shadow engulfing Ralph in darkness. Jack reached down and slammed a hard fist into Ralph's face. It made a sickening thud as it pounded against his flesh.

"Stop!" I cried out. "Please stop!"

Jack turned his head in the direction of my voice and began to laugh manically. I couldn't properly see Jack, the real Jack, underneath all of that hideous warpaint.

_What living on an island could do to someone._

Ralph cowered on the ground, fed up with being beaten, yet he still refused to die. Ralph looked as though he had been beaten an inch away from death, which was probably accurate. Jack kicked his gut and watched Ralph cry out in pain, getting a sick satisfaction of authority. More and more blows were sent to Ralph's abused flesh. Ralph struggled back and forth, trying to flail his limbs lose from the binding of the vines. We were both stuck.

The tribe of savages turned their full attention to Ralph and backed away from me. I watched helplessly as my love was beaten.

_My dream! _The dream from the first few nights on the island. This was the cause of my strange deja vu. I gulped as I realized how naive I had been thinking Jack would never change. That inner savagery wouldn't overcome him.

Not wanting to give up, I kept struggling against the tight vines, desperate for escape. I knew I could get free somehow. _I knew it._ I bit, clawed, and chewed my way through the vines. _Yes! It was slowly working!_ I resumed doing anything and everything I could to free myself. Slowly, but surely, the vines were loosening. _What fools for underestimating me and leaving my hands untied! _

Meanwhile, Jack and Roger were having a good time beating Ralph. Ralph, gasping for air, took each blow with pride. Jack was jealous of him. Jack wanted what Ralph had, and Ralph wasn't about to give that up, even if it meant death.

"Roger," Jack suddenly commanded. "Go get the spear."

Roger, madness and insanity gleaming in his dark eyes, kicked Ralph once then spun on this heel to fetch the weapon. Jack stood up and looked down at Ralph. Ralph raised his brusied face to meet his.

"This is how it ends," Jack remarked coldy. "It's time for you to die. When you're gone, I get Angel all to myself. No more signal fire. No more competing with you. No more civilization."

Ralph looked at Jack with pure hatred, then faced me and bit his lip.

"Good bye," Ralph whispered to me. "I love you so much."

A single tear ran down his face as he prepared himself for the brutal death he was about to endure.

"I love you too, Ralph. I always will."


	14. Chapter 14

**_But nothing's greater than the rush_**

_That comes with your embrace_  
_And in this world of loneliness I see your face_  
_Yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazy_  
_Maybe, maybe_

_But I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you_  
_They try to pull me away but they don't know the truth_  
_My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing_

_You cut me open_  
_And I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love_  
_I keep bleeding, I keep, keep bleeding love_  
_Keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love_  
_You cut me open_

_And it's draining all of me_  
_Oh, they find it hard to believe_  
_I'll be wearing these scars for everyone to see_

* * *

I was still ripping at the last remaining vines around my midsection. It was almost off. Just a few more claws-_yes!_ I shook them off me and sprinted towards Ralph. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I madly tore the vines off of him. Before anyone could process what was going on, I had freed Ralph's legs from the clutches of the unforgiving vines. Ralph and I sprung to our feet and tore off towards the exit of Castle Rock. Ralph had a difficult time running considering his arms were still bound. We ran in an unknown direction, hearing savage cries behind us, figuring if we went to our side of the island, it'd be too obvious. We ran madly looking for a decent place to hide. Finally, we saw a thicket and we both dove into it, ducking down. I helped Ralph tear off the remaining vines on his arms and as soon as they were free, he immediately wrapped them around me.

"What were you thinking?" he whispered madly.

"I wanted to give myself up to Jack so you wouldn't die! I couldn't stand the thought of losing you forever," I cried, my eyes swollen from sobbing. "But Jack obviously wasn't true to his word."

Ralph swallowed and exhaled a deep breath.

"You shouldn't have. My death is better than you being a play-thing for Jack."

I cringed. "Don't ever say that. Nothing could possibly be worse than your death."

Ralph emitted a low noise from his throat and leaned forward quickly, pressing his lips carefully to mine. I sighed. _I thought I'd never get another chance to do this again. At least with Ralph anyways. _I savoured the moment for all it was worth as we lovingly kissed in the middle of no where.

"I'll never leave your side again," I told him as we pulled apart.

Ralph smiled. "I'm never letting you out of my sight."

We stayed wrapped in each others embrace as we pondered what to do. We certainly couldn't risk being seen, yet we knew we couldn't hide forever. Eventually we knew we'd have to come out of hiding to eat or bathe. We remained silent in the middle of the thicket so no one could easily track us down. Ralph's wounds were swelling up and still bleeding. Not knowing what to do, I leaned over and lowered my voice to a soft whisper.

"What are we going to do about your wounds?"

Ralph looked down at his beaten flesh and ran a finger across them. He hissed with pain and quickly pulled his hand back.

"I don't know. They really hurt."

I scrunched up my face in concentration. The blood needed to be cleaned off his ribs and face badly.

"What if we snuck off to the bathing pond?"

"We can't risk capture," Ralph said solemnly. "It's not worth it."

I shook my head. He was right. My eyes grew heavy as I realized I was exhausted. I stiffed a wide yawn and leaned back into the ground. Ralph leaned back next to me, his arm immediately taking it's usual place around me. As I lay, a horrible thought popped into my head.

"Ralph?"

Ralph opened his eyes. "Yeah?"

"What if the savages find us while we're asleep?"

He silently cursed under his breath. "I hadn't thought of that." He fixed his eyes to the sky. "We may have to sleep in shifts."

"Shifts?"

"You sleep for a few hours while I keep awake. If I hear anything, I'll wake you up. After a few hours we switch."

I nodded. Sounded like a good plan to me. Ralph volunteered to take the first lookout shift. As he stayed awake, I was asleep before my head touched the ground.

_I was running through the forest with a sick feeling in my stomach. I was the only one left. Bruises and scars covered my body as I bolted through the creepers, my long hair flying behind me. In the distance I heard the savage war cries, forcing me to run faster. My legs felt like rubber as I ran in an aimless direction, dodging spears as I ran. I came to a dead end in the forest and quickly looked around for an escape route, but it was too late. The savages had caught me and began to form a circle around me. The Chief, unrecognizable from the paint, started forward. His once loving eyes were now full of evil and hatred as they bore into me without mercy. I looked up into his cruel face as he began to beat me with his spear. Many other savages saw his actions and came over to help. Several spears slammed into my body as I realized I was dying the same way my brother had. I took one last look at The Chief as my vision slipped away and became black._

I woke up in a cold sweat, my hands shaking furiously. Ralph instantly hovered over me.

"Are you okay?"

Vision blurred, I absently nodded.

"Yeah. How long have I been asleep?"

Ralph thought for a moment.

"About six hours I suppose."

I blinked dumbly. _Six hours?_

"Why would you let me sleep that long? What about you?" I whispered loudly.

Ralph rubbed his tired eyes and sighed.

"So you could be well rested."

I shook my head in disbelief.

"You need rest too!" I argued.

It was true. Ralph looked like a train wreck. His mangled body was discoloured and had spots of dried blood stuck to it. His eyes were dull and he had heavy bags under his weary eyes.

"Y-yeah you're right," he murmered. Sleep was soon to consume him.

I propped myself up on one elbow ready to stay awake. Ralph closed his eyes and was instantly asleep. I stared into the darkness for hours hoping nothing would happen during my shift. I didn't know how much time had gone by, but I was starting to become bored. I raised my face to the sky and began counting the stars.

"One, two, three, four," I counted under my breath. After eventually counting to 247, I gave up and sighed. I rolled over and watched Ralph. Hot tears stung my eyes as I took in his condition. I tore my eyes away and re-fixed them onto the sky again. I blankly stared up at the night and zoned out. I was pulled back into reality when I heard sticks and leaves crunching. I shot straight up and strained my ears. More rustling. I swallowed a dry lump in my throat. _Someone was out there!_ I quickly began to shake Ralph awake.

"Ralph!" I whispered as quietly as I could. "Ralph wake up! I heard something out there."

Ralph began to awake and looked blankly at me.

"Huh?" he asked in a daze. His bloodshot eyes were focused on me.

"Somebody is out there," I softly repeated.

Ralph, more alert now, also shot up and listened. He too heard the vague crunching noise. He looked at me nervously and proceeded to peek his head out of the thicket. A dark outline of a figure from far away could be seen from his spot. He turned his head back to me.

"Someone _is_ here. We've got to get out of here."

I nodded and followed as we began to crawl deeper in the thicket. My heart beat raced faster and faster as I crawled, desperate to not make a sound. I cringed when I heard voices.

"We've got to find them," a silk like voice rang out.

"We will. Then they'll get what they deserve," a sadistic voice muttered.

I instantly recognized them as Jack and Roger. A few other voices I didn't know began to softly murmur to each other. Panic struck me as Ralph and I made our silent escape. A few minutes later we plopped down where we were.

"This is far enough away for now," Ralph stated. His voice had a nervous tone to it.

Nighttime faded and the sun began to slowly rise. Despite the sun, our thicket remained somewhat dark. Shadows from the tall trees surrounded me in darkness. Ralph and I clung to each other not knowing how much longer we could go on like this. I felt like I was slowly going insane. _How much longer would I be able to last?_


	15. Chapter 15

_No time for goodbye he said_  
_As he faded away_  
_Don't put your life in someone's hands_  
_They're bound to steal it away_  
_Don't hide your mistakes_  
_'Cause they'll find you, burn you_  
_Then he said_

_If you want to get out alive_  
_Hold on for your life_  
_If you want to get out alive_  
_Hold on for your life_

* * *

Ralph and I sat alone in the middle of the dark thicket. Leaves brushed against my skin making it irritable. Beside me, Ralph was biting his nails in deep thought. I broke the silence.

"What are we going to do?" I brushed some leaves off my skin, scratching my arm.

Ralph ran his hand through his blond hair causing it to stick up in new directions.

"I dunno. We can't hide forever."

If only Simon and Piggy were here. Piggy's wisdom and Simon's wonderful presence would have been helpful at a time like this.

Ralph became alert suddenly, a confused expression playing upon his face. His face scrunched up. _What was wrong?_ It was then I smelled it too. Something in the air smelled funny. It smelled like burnt leaves and twigs. Ralph and I slowly met gazes. _Smoke!_ There was heavy smoke in the air; more than usual when we made signal fires. Ralph and I scrambled to our feet and quietly stepped outside the thicket. In the distance, we saw a blazing fire heading our direction. _Had they let the whole bloody island catch fire?_ I stood dumbly next to Ralph looking at it. If we stayed here, we would surely burn. I looked up at him.

"_Now_ what are we going to do?"

Ralph was in a panic trying to figure out our next move. He raised a dirty arm and wiped his sweaty face.

"We have to go to the beach. Staying in the jungle would be too dangerous."

I bleakly nodded. Off in the distance somewhere I heard faint war cries. _The manhunt!_ My heart pounded as Ralph and I began to run. The growing fire and war cries were chasing us as we escaped the burning jungle. The smoke grew heavier and heavier making me light headed. My chest heaved in and out as I choked on the smoke. Behind me, the cries of the hunters were growing louder by the second. Ralph and I steadily lost speed as we gasped for clean air that wasn't there. We were slowly suffocating on the thick smoke. Nevertheless, if we wanted to live, we had to keep moving forward. As I slowly came to a stop to catch my breath, a spear landed in the ground a few inches away from where I stood. I turned around gasping to find a painted savage running after us. He was hard to see under the paint, but I recognized him as Harold. Robert and Bill followed not too far behind him. I began to move again using every bit of energy I had left and sprinted away, dodging two more spears. Ralph and I resumed running through a seemingly never ending jungle with savages on our trail.

"We have to hide and let them pass," I called to Ralph as we ran. "If we keep running out in the open, they'll catch us."

Ralph nodded and sped up. I quickly followed and once we got a good distance from the savages, we dove into a bush. My chest silently heaved up and down as I tried to return my jagged breathing back to normal. I heard rapid footsteps pass our bush and hurry along in pursuit. Beside me, I heard Ralph let out a sigh of relief. I turned around to investigate the clearing behind us and what I saw made me gasp. I went to scream, but Ralph's hand shot out over my mouth before I could make a sound. Before me, a stick rose out of the ground. A decapitated sow head sat on top of it, maniacally grinning at us. Ralph and I stared wide eyed at it in terror as we watched the flies circle the head.

_"The head will be a gift for the beast."_

I could almost hear Jack speak as I remembered his words from the day we went hunting._ I was the one who had killed this pig!_ Guilt flooded my stomach as the head stared back at me through lifeless eye sockets. Shivers ran down my spine as I looked at Ralph.

"I killed that pig," I said softly, ashamed of myself.

Ralph nodded without taking his eyes off the pig.

"A stick sharpened at both ends," he said vaguely. "So that's what Samneric meant." His face paled tremendously.

In a sudden movement, his fist reached out and punched the head, knocking it over. It hit the ground with a hard thud as it broke into two pieces. Its grin was now six feet across. I tore my eyes away from the sow and began to jog away. Ralph, sickened by the combination of the terrible sight and smoke, followed me. We walked hand-in-hand out of the clearing and resumed to make our way to the beach. Smoke flooded the area, but we had ran out of energy. I couldn't bring myself to run anymore. I felt weak as we trotted along the jungle ground. Suddenly, I felt a sharp object dig deep into my arm. I hissed and screamed in pain and fell to my knees crying. I looked up at my attacker through blurry eyes; Jack. His ice cold eyes looked into mine without mercy as he yanked his spear out of my arm, causing more screams from me. By now the savages had heard my voice and began to appear one by one out of no where. _Damn Jack and his silent sneak attacks!_

Ralph jumped in front of me protectively and hit Jack in the jaw. Jack's face flew back as he moaned in pain. Rage flooding him, he picked up his spear to stab Ralph with it as well. It jabbed into his thigh and he hissed. We tried to run again, but the pain and smoke had different plans. We staggered away from the savages and they followed after us, not wanting us to escape. The smoke was so thick by now that it was hard to see. My unwounded arm reached out for Ralph's hand as we limped away. The savages, in a mad coughing fit, started after us. The smoke was impossible to run in. They weakly began hurling spears at us as we half ran, half limped away. I collapsed to the ground with a spinning, light head. Tears still ran down my face as I examined my throbbing wound. It was a deep gash with crimson blood pouring at of it. I felt even sicker seeing myself bleed. I tore what was left of the bottom of my shirt and wrapped it around my arm. _That should be okay for now._Ralph, coughing heavily, also collapsed to the ground. We lay on the ground coughing and suffocating as the fire drifted closer like a tidal wave. The hunters could still be heard, but I could tell they were also having difficulties breathing. Ralph and I began to crawl out of the jungle as the fire came closer and closer to our location. We could barely hold ourselves up with our severe injuries. The pain was throbbing through my arm like a pulse. I hissed every time I slowly inched forward.

Somewhere behind us, the savages were gasping for breath as they tried to chase after us. The black smoke was getting too heavy to breath properly in as it flooded the whole jungle. The savages kept trudging through, determined to kill us both. They staggered after us as we crawled weakly. Ralph turned and saw they were gaining up on us.

"Get up and run!" he cried.

Not needing to be told twice, I jumped to my feet and forced myself to run. The savages were right behind us now as we desperately tried to escape. I saw a faint light at the end of the jungle. _The way out!_ Ralph and I pushed ourselves as hard as we could as we made a mad dash for the exit. We both sprinted out and simultaneously fell on to the warm sand. I fell on my bad arm and cried out in pain. There was no way I was going to get up now. It wasn't worth it anymore. Ralph lay next to me with his eyes shut, his hand grabbing my non hurt one.

"This is it," he whispered as the savages spotted us. They began to sprint towards us with their spears raised angrily.

"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"

I closed my eyes and prepared myself for death that was about to consume my love and I.

* * *

_Shot down by strangers_  
_Whose glances can cripple_  
_The heart and devour the soul_

_All alone he turns to stone_  
_While holding his breath half to death_  
_Terrified of whats inside_  
_To save his life he crawls_  
_Like a worm from a bird_


	16. Chapter 16

_Nice work you did.  
You're gonna go far, kid._

* * *

I opened one eye and looked at the hunters. They were all looking straight ahead in a shock with their mouths open, their spears still raised above their heads. They all stared dumbly in the same direction and slowly lowered their spears.

"What's going on here?" a deep, unfamiliar voice cried.

I whipped my head around in the direction the savages were looking. A tall man in a white uniform was looking down at us confused. Behind him was a ship. We all stared in astonishment at the ship and naval officer. _We were saved!_

"Are there any adults here?" the officer asked, trying to get response out of us.

Ralph pushed himself up and sat on his knees in the sand.

"N-no sir," Ralph choked out.

I weakly pulled myself up to sit on my knees to join Ralph. The officer shook his head.

"Fun and games," he muttered. "We saw the your smoke. Are you guys having a war or something?"

Ralph meekly nodded.

"Any killed?" the officer asked tenderly.

"Two," I piped up suddenly. "Including my brother." Tears began to make their way to my eyes.

The officer got down on his knees eye level to me.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry to hear that."

I turned and shot a dirty look at the savages behind me. Now that an adult was present, they didn't look so intimidating anymore; not even Roger. They all remained silent as the officer raised himself off the ground.

"Who's boss here?" he asked.

Ralph's green eyes rose up to meet the officer's.

"I am," he said loudly.

Jack started forward and opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He lowered his eyes and decided against it, standing still.

"Well," said the officer. "Let's get you guys back home."

Beside me, Ralph began to sob. It was the first time I had ever seen him full out cry. His body began to shake uncontrollably as tears flowed down his face. I got to my feet and helped him up, also sobbing. The officer led us onto the ship and one by one we boarded it. We all stood on the ship as it sailed away and watched the fire sweep across the island. Ralph and I made our way towards the very back of the ship, away from everyone else, and leaned towards the railing, watching the island gradually fade from sight. He stood behind me, his arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace. Our eyes stared straight ahead at the rising smoke in the sky. Our tears were slowly replaced with a growing sensation of pride and triumph. We both weakly smiled at each other thinking the same thing.

_We made it. We actually made it._

* * *

**A/N: And so concludes Civilization vs Savagery. I really hope you guys enjoyed it! I really want to thank those who took the time to read my story. It really means a lot! **


	17. Author's Note

**A/N: I'm sooooo sorry I haven't been active lately. I've been suffering from MAJOR writer's block lately. I'm not really sure what kind of plot I have in store for my two latest stories, "My Life as a Merridew," and "Kryptonite." If any of you have any ideas, feel free to inbox me. Help would be greatly appreciated. But anyways, I have completely re-edit this story, "Civilization vs. Savagery," as it was my first story and had TONS of flaws. So I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading :) **

**~E. Kingsley **


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